BHAKTAPUR, Sept 7: The tongue-piercing festival is taking place today in Madhyapur Thimi, Bhaktapur. Birendra Bhakta Gaju Shrestha, a resident of Balkumari, Ward 4, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality, will pierce his tongue during the festival known as “Yenya Punhi Lasatay Myepwa Khnegu Jatra.”
This festival had been discontinued for various reasons. It was celebrated until 1969 (2026 BS) but then came to a halt. Reviving the tradition, Birendra Bhakta first pierced his tongue in 2017 (2074 BS). He did so again in 2022 and 2024, making this year his fourth. In between, others performed the ritual in 2017.
The date and circumambulation route for the ritual have been made public at the Dabali in front of Prachanda Bhairav at Digutol, Thimi. This year, after piercing his tongue, Birendra Bhakta will carry the bhye (oil lamp) barefoot and visit the Navadurga and Dattatreya temples in Bhaktapur. Preparations are underway to cover the roughly 10-kilometer route from Digutol, ending at Balkumari Temple.
The route is chosen based on the wish of the tongue-piercer. Accordingly, this year the circumambulation will extend from Madhyapur Thimi to Bhaktapur. Birendra Bhakta confirmed he had decided to tour Bhaktapur during the festival.
Hundreds of devotees join the procession with the tongue-piercer. This year, it will begin at Digutol, passing through Balkumari Temple, Tachutol (Gantale), Vishnuvir Temple, Yamatol, Marutol, Shankhadhar Chowk, Dakshin Barahi Temple (Kwachen), back to Shankhadhar Chowk, Thimi, Takuba, and reaching Radheradhe. From there, the route crosses Madhyapur Thimi and enters Bhaktapur’s Sallaghari. The circumambulation continues through Chonga Ganesh, Siddhapokhari, Na: pukhu, Durbar Square, Nyatapau Dega (Ta: Mari), Sukuldhoka, Dattatreya Temple (Tachapah:), Kwathado, Navadurga Temple (Dya: Chhen), and Sakhwa Lane before returning to Nyatapau Dega. The route then passes Vamshagopal, Siddhapokhari, Chonga Ganesh, enters Nikosera of Thimi, and proceeds through Municipality Chowk, Pati Bihar, Gunga Chiva, Bhimsen Chowk, Nagadesh, Siddhi Ganesh Temple, Garcha Chowk, Siddhikali Chowk, Siddhikali Temple, Bhulankhya, Chode Tol, Nigupokhu, and finally concludes at Balkumari Temple.
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Mayor Surendra Shrestha of Madhyapur Thimi said that since Birendra Bhakta wished to extend the circumambulation to Bhaktapur Municipality this year, he had already spoken with Mayor Sunil Prajapati of Bhaktapur, who agreed to provide full support and welcome the event.
According to the Nepal Sambat calendar, on the day after Indra Jatra, in the presence of thousands, the naki (ritual priest) will pierce Birendra Bhakta’s tongue with a 10-inch iron needle. Chandra Shrestha, chair of the festival management committee, said preparations are underway for the ritual. Traditionally, a month before the event, the priest’s household confirms the preparation of the needle, while a week before, the dyah dusalegu (deity-invoking ritual) is performed.
The festival takes place at night. On the evening of the event, oil lamps are lit across Thimi. Around 8 p.m., Birendra Bhakta will be escorted by two assistants from Bhairav Temple to the Dabali, where his tongue will be pierced with an iron needle dipped in pure mustard oil.
In the presence of the Naya Pahman (chief administrator of the former Thimi palace), Birendra Bhakta will carry the bhye(oil lamp) on his shoulder and circumambulate Bhaktapur barefoot, wearing white clothing. Hundreds of culture enthusiasts will accompany him, chanting “Takun Bhye: Khwa: Masysen Bhway Nayye” (meaning “follow the great lamp”) while some will beat dhime drums and bhusya cymbals along the route.
At the end of the circumambulation, on the full moon night, the priest (Kahmi Naya:) will remove the needle at Balkumari Temple and apply soil from the Nityanath premises onto the tongue. Afterwards, it is customary to take sagun (auspicious food) and host a feast. The following morning, offerings are made at Balkumari Temple in a concluding ritual known as natu puja (farewell worship).
In past years, based on the wish of the tongue-piercer, the procession has extended to Bode, Nagadesh, Tigani, Nilbarahi, Changunarayan, and even Pashupatinath in Kathmandu.
Historical background of the festival
While Kathmandu celebrates Indra Jatra by pulling the chariots of Kumari, Bhairav, and Ganesh, Thimi marks the occasion with the tongue-piercing ritual. Though traditionally held every year on the day after Indra Jatra, the festival has faced interruptions in recent decades due to financial and technical reasons. Before Birendra Bhakta, Krishna Nanicha Shrestha had performed the ritual three times between 1993 and 2006. Since 2017, Balkaram Nanicha Shrestha of Chode Tol has also pierced his tongue twice.
The collection of needles at Balkumari Temple suggests the tradition began about 350 years ago. After the circumambulation, the needle is placed on a pillar inside the temple. At present, at least 355 needles are preserved there. In some years, as many as seven individuals pierced their tongues, while in other years, the practice was discontinued, making precise historical documentation difficult.
According to oral tradition, the ritual began as a means to ward off spirits and demons from Madhyapur Thimi. A courageous individual would be chosen for tongue-piercing, accompanied by Yenmata (a tall bamboo pole wrapped with cloth, lit with mustard oil as a sky-lamp).
The yenmata was believed to burn away spirits hiding on rooftops, in dark corners, and in alleys. The involvement of roles such as Naya Pahman and Kahmi Naya: shows that the tongue-piercing festival of Thimi is linked to Malla-era traditions. In addition, a similar tongue-piercing festival is still held annually in Bode, Madhyapur Thimi, during Biska Jatra.
