Digu Tole tongue-piercing festival being held next week

Kathmandu, Sept. 13: Bode, an ancient city of Madhyapur Thimi, is known for its famous tongue-piercing festival, but many people may not know about another tongue-piercing festival of Digu Tole in Ward No. 5 of Madhyapur Thimi Municipality. This tongue-piercing festival is taking place on next Wednesday evening. 

The tongue-piercing festival of Digu Tole is marked the day after the Indra Jatra every year. 

This year, 37-year-old Birendra Bhakta Shrestha of Digu Tole in Ward No. 4 of the municipality is going to continue the age-old tradition for the third time after a gap of one year. 

Last year, Balakram Nani Shrestha had his tongue pierced.  

“I am performing the tongue piercing act for the third time this year to preserve our dying culture,” Birendra Bhakta said, adding that he took part in tongue piercing in 2017 for the first time and in 2022 for the second time.    

He said, “My first attempt to pierce the tongue in 2017 itself was held after a gap of 11 years, I pierced the tongue when no one was ready for that. Earlier, in 1999, 2003 and 2006 Krishna Nani Shrestha performed the tongue-piercing act.”

Birendra Bhakta revived the Jatra in 2017 and Balakram in 2018. The jatra was disturbed in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Elaborating on the rituals of tongue piercing, Shrestha said that the person willing to pierce his tongue needs to worship Nakarmi on the day of Janai Purmina and request him to make a needle to pierce his tongue.  

The needle needs to be kept in pure mustard oil for a month. A special worship is organised a week before the festival at Balkumari Temple by offering a rooster, and it was performed  on Wednesday. On the same evening, beaten rice made in the shape of the Balkumari idol should be brought to the home of the person who is prepared to pierce his tongue and he worships the idol twice a day – in the morning and evening. 

The needle is made in the shape of a trident with three needles and is used to pierce the tongue by its tips.  

The tongue-piercing fast begins two days before the festival day, and the man, who pierces the tongue, should not even drink water. The fasting needs to be observed by staying away from people and not talking to anybody. 

Talking to The Rising Nepal, Shrestha said that everybody needs to cooperate to preserve the dying culture.

 A 15-member Management Committee has been formed to manage the festival and prepare food and serve the food to the guests the day before the festival and in the festival night. 

Pradeep Shrestha, a local cultural expert, said that the specialty of the tongue-piercing festival of Digu Tole is that it can be performed in a group. 

A record has been found that 17 people had pierced their tongue in the past. 

As per the tradition, the needles should be taken to Balkumari Temple after piercing the tongue. Over 340 bunches of needles were found at the temple’s door, poles and other parts. It proved that earlier, a group used to take part in the tongue piercing but now that practice has faded away, he said. 

Pradeep Shrestha further said, “My late grandfather Bhakti Narayan Jaman Shrestha had told us that he had pierced his tongue at the age of seven in a group of five people in 1941/42.” 

After piercing the tongue with 10-inch-long and half-inch thick iron needles, he should visit different localities of Madhyapur Thimi carrying around 40 kg half-moon shaped Aakashdeep which is made with 19 sticks of Nigalo (Himalayan bamboo). 

Babu Kaji Shrestha, whose position is Karmi Naike, has been piercing the tongue and he will also pierce Shrestha’s tongue this year. Likewise, Ram Bhakta Nakarmi has made the iron needle for the ceremony. 

On the tongue-perching day, oil-fed lamps are lit in each temple of Madhyapur Thimi. When the man who is to undergo tongue piercing reaches his home, the Karmi Naike performs puja as per the tantric method and offers a silver necklace to the man selected for tongue piercing.

The tongue-piercing ceremony will be held at the Dabali in front of the Bhairav Temple. 

Shrestha will visit different localities of Madhyapur Thimi carrying the half shaped Aakashdeep. He will also reach the Pashupatinath temple after visiting different localities in Madhyapur Thimi.

As per the schedule, the tongue will be pierced at 7.0 pm on Wednesday evening and the team including Birendra Bhakta Shrestha will visit Pashupatinath temple at 10.0 pm. 

After circumambulating the Pashupatinath Temple, he will return to Degu Tole. The practice of visiting Pashupatinath after tongue-piercing was revived only last year. 

Cultural expert Shrestha said that earlier there was a practice of visiting Changu Nararyan Temple and Pashupati Temple. 

After completing the walking part, the iron needle is taken out in front of Balkumari Temple and the hole in the tongue is filled with mud from that temple. The needle is kept at the temple’s door the day after.