BHAKTAPUR: Birendrabhakta Gaju Shrestha, a 39-year-old resident of Balkumari, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality-4, is set to perform the traditional tongue-piercing ritual again this year.
Shrestha is preparing to perform the ritual for the fifth time in an effort to preserve the centuries-old festival and tradition. He has announced that he will perform the tongue-piercing ritual on Saturday, Sept. 26, on the occasion of Yenya Punhi.
The festival was revived in 2074 BS under Shrestha’s leadership. Since then, he has performed the ritual in 2079, 2081 and 2082 BS.
Before Shrestha, Krishna Nanicha Shrestha of Madhyapur Thimi performed the tongue-piercing ritual three times—in 2052, 2057 and 2063 BS.
The festival begins with the tongue-piercing ritual, which is performed before thousands of people at the Dabali (open-air platform) of the Digu Bhairav Temple in Madhyapur Thimi. Traditionally, the person performing the ritual proceeds to the Pashupatinath Temple afterward, according to their own wish.
According to legend, evil spirits and demons once wreaked havoc in Thimi, killing people indiscriminately. To bring the situation under control, a man had his tongue pierced and was paraded around the town. It is believed that the evil spirits fled following the procession, restoring peace to the area.
On the evening of Bhadra Shukla Purnima, the full moon day in the month of Bhadra, the ritual is performed at the Dabali of the Digu Bhairav Temple. The tongue is pierced with an oil-soaked iron needle approximately one foot long.
The tradition involves a procession to the Pashupatinath Temple, after which the participant returns to the Balkumari Temple, where the needle is removed. Locals believe that observing the festival protects the town from diseases, famine and natural disasters.
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