Ghode Jatra is a public holiday in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, observed on the new moon of Chaitra Sukla Pakshya in the Eastern Lunar calendar, which means it usually falls in March or April in the western calendar. This holiday is a popular horse festival that takes place in Kathmandu.

Legend has it that a demon called Tundi was terrorising people in the Kathmandu Valley, kidnapping children and devouring them. The demon was finally killed when he was trampled by horses. Tundi was buried under a tree on Tundikhel, a large grass-covered ground in the centre of Nepal’s capital Kathmandu. Killing the demon wasn’t the end of the story as his spirit lived on, creating trouble in different ways. To keep the demon in his place, the King ordered his horses to gallop over the field to trample the demon’s spirit back into the ground. This annual tradition became Ghode Jatra.

On the day, a grand horse parade takes place in Tundikhel and high-end dignitaries attend the ceremony. The Nepalese army organises horse races. It is said that the faster the horses run, the quicker the demon’s spirit will be subdued. Other equestrian events, acrobatics and parachuting are also performed, making it a spectacular and popular event.
Large crowds gather around Tudikhel to watch but they are not allowed to enter the field.

HAPPY GHODE JATRA <3