Sujan Bagh piercing tongue for second time

Kathmandu, Apr. 2: Sujan Bagh Shrestha is going to pierce his tongue on April 14 for the second time during the famous tongue-piercing festival of Bode in Madhyapur Thimi, Bhaktapur district. 

Sujan, a 28-year-old resident of Khasi Tole of Bode in Ward No. 8 of Madhyapur Municipality showed his willingness to participate in the painful performance since 2023 to preserve the dying tradition.   

The tongue piercing festival is celebrated every year in Bode on the second day of Nepali New Year.  

Sujan is the youngest son of Buddha Krishna Bagh Shrestha, who had pierced his tongue nine times in the past for the festival.  

Buddha Krishna Bagh Shrestha first pierced his tongue from 2005 to 2008, and he stopped giving continuity to the tradition due to the death of his mother. However, he resumed the practice in 2016 after Juju Bhai Basan, who had pierced his tongue for eight years, stopped giving continuity to the age-old tradition.  

Sujan regularly pierced his tongue till 2022 except during the pandemic.

Buddha Krishna Bagh Shrestha said that his youngest son was going to participate in this year’s tongue-piercing festival to preserve the age-old culture. 

Sharing his first experience of tongue piercing in 2023, Sujan said that he felt excited and happy to become a responsible person to continue the age-old tradition.  

The tongue-piercing person fasts for three days beginning from the last day of the last Nepali month of the year. 

Dharma Nakarmi, 67, is now preparing the iron needle for the festival. 

The thick 10-inch long iron needle is made, using a metal primer to protect it from rusting and then it is kept inside the mustard oil for four days of the festival. According to the statistics, 13 people have pierced their tongues in 110 years of the festival’s history.

The record shows that Harka Narasingh Shrestha was the first to get his tongue pierced. He did it for 22 years from 1912 to 1933.  

Likewise, Bekha Narayan Shrestha pierced his tongue 32 times from 1934 to 1965. Haridev Kila Shrestha had pierced his tongue once in 1966.  

Hari Bhasink Shrestha continued the tradition from 1967 to 1969 piercing his tongue for three times and from 1970 to 1971 Indra Bata Shrestha pierced his tongue twice. 

Similarly, from 1972 to 1974 Harieshwar Bayan Shrestha pierced his tongue three times; from 1975 to 1981 Chandrasen Dyo Shrestha pierced his tongue seven times and Dil Kumar Khape Shrestha pierced his tongue seven times from 1982 to 1989.