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Gay Travel: Third Annual Gaijatra Pride Festival Comes to Nepal in August |
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 Next month, Nepal is hosting the 3nd International Gaijatra Pride Festival 2012 in Pokhara. The theme for this year is: "Bringing Friends and Families Together for Solidarity towards Equality, Protecting Mountain Eco-systems and Promoting 'Visit Lumbini Year 2012' in Nepal."
One of the special moments of Gaijatra is to commemorate those loved ones who have passed away during the last year. Blue Diamond Society(our community based organization) will once again organize our annual candle lit memorial in memory of those LGBTI who have died, and we will also hold a candle lit memorial in honor of the victims of the Seti River flood, triggered by a, what is believed to be, global warming induced avalanche on Machhapuchre mountain last Saturday morning.
We hope that you will be able to join us at this international event and show your full support by standing in solidarity with us during the candle lit memorial. More information about the event is below.
"2012 GAIJATRA: Blue Diamond Society (BDS) International PRIDE FESTIVAL" on 3rd August 2012 in Lakeside, Pokhara, Nepal in association with Pink Mountain Travels and Tours.
This is to inform you of the annual "3ndGAIJATRA INTERNATIONAL PRIDE FESTIVAL" to be held on 3rd August 2012 in Lakeside, Pokhara, Nepal.
This annual festival has become one of BDS's premier events and draws crowds of local supporters as well as tourists, to join in on the fun and enjoyment of the festivities. Although BDS has been celebrating this unique festival for the last 10 years, we have been especially promoting it as an International Pride Event for the last two years. The theme for this year's GaiJatra is "Bringing Friends and Families Together for Solidarity towards Equality, Protecting Mountain Eco-systems and Promoting 'Visit Lumbini Year 2012' in Nepal."
The festival of "Gai Jatra" is one of the oldest and most unusual of the many festivals celebrated by the Hindus/Buddhists of Kathmandu Valley. Some say the custom goes back more than a millennium, to the time of the Licchavi kings. Falling on the day after JanaiPurnima, the full moon day of August, Gai Jatra is a day for remembering those who have died in the past year. In addition to praying for their departed loved ones, family and friends of the deceased commemorate them in great processions, which wind their way through the streets of the ancient Newar towns of Bhaktapur, Patan, Kathmandu, Pokhara, Bharatpur, Bandipur, Gorkha, Dhulikhel, etc.
Despite its associations with the dead, the festival procession is not a dour or solemn event. In fact, there is a great deal of merry-making connected with it. Many of the participants wear outlandish costumes. Traditionally, a good number of the young Newar men in the procession dress in women's clothing. Over the centuries, the Gai Jatra Festival developed a second purpose. In the days when political expression of any kind was outlawed, Gai Jatra was the day when ordinary citizens could vent their frustrations through political and social satire, without fear of reprisal from the rulers.
Given this history, Gai Jatra seemed to be a ready-made occasion for the Blue Diamond Society, the Nepali sexual and gender minority association, to stage Nepal's Pride march.
Pride activities:
- Gathering at the lakeside of Pokhara city with colorfully decorated caparisoned elephants and floats joined by many local LGBTs representing their districts, bringing with them their own local traditional costumes and attire.
- Rally starts and proceeds through the touristic areas of Pokhara.
- After the rally: We will have annual candle lit memorial in honor of all the LGBTI that have passed away this year. This year, the candle lit memorial will also be in honor of the victims of the Seti River flood caused by a global warming-induced avalanche.
- Evening; Pride festival party will organize by Pink Mountain Travels and Tours at Lakeside. We also have Lakhe dance (traditional dance by a man in mask and cross dressing influenced by Tantra-ism) and comedy performances on the current political situation in Nepal brought by LGBTI groups from all 5 development regions.
- There will also be a colorful and light-hearted parade, consisting of a highly decorated musical band and groups of walking performers plus costumed marchers representing various third genders, lesbians, gays, and their friends, family, along with other queer-friendly groups with Musical Hangama. Joining the parade will be a colorful carnival, a massive promotion and distribution of condoms and a call for Solidarity towards Equality, Protecting Mountain Eco-systems and Promoting Nepal's "Visit Lumbini (Buddha's birth place in Nepal) Year 2012".Please join Pink Mountain for this extraordinary extravaganza!!
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Published on:
July 13, 2012
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