गाई जात्रा । Gai Jatra. Why this day is called so is a mystery. For, the featured honoree today is the male gai, the bull, वृषभ । vrishabha. He is being commemorated for his role in granting safe passage to the recently departed as they proceed on their journey into the nether worlds of the afterlife. The entire thesis of the bull’s role is rather involved and will be addressed in subsequent blog posts.

The video below is a stotram addressed to Sri Nandi. Bhagwan Shiva’s pet, Nandi is the primordial bull. He can guide our ancestors to Shiva-loka, the abode of the Bhagwan.