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The annual festival of Sindoor Jatra paints the town with orange Sindoor, which is observed on the 2nd of Baisakh, the second day of the first month of the year, as per the Lunar calendar. A total of 26 ceremonial palanquins are brought to the temple square by devotees, completely soaked in Sindoor and accompanied by singing and dancing troupes.
"We smear vermilion powder on each other's face, tour around the deities playing the traditional musical instruments, drink and exchange greetings with each other wishing New Year," Sudeep Shrestha, one of the revellers, told ANI.
Revellers tour 26 ceremonial palanquins around the temple in modern times, but in the past, there used to be 32 palanquins. To mark the New Year, Bode, the adjoining town, also holds an annual festival where a devotee pierces their tongue. Other towns in Bhaktapur, including Nagadesh, Bode, and Nil Barahi, also hold ceremonial celebrations.
Celebrated on the second day of the Nepali month Baisakh by the Newar community in Madhyapur Thimi, the festival also marks the advent of the spring season. A day before the observance of Sindoor Jatra, the locals of Thimi perform Gunsin Chhoyekegu, which means the firing of forest wood. The next day, palanquins, locally called "Khat," are taken to Vishnuvir during the day. Deities are taken on Khats to Kwachhen (Dakshin Barahi) from Layakhu during the night.
On New Year's Day, devotees present offerings and pray to Goddess Balkumari. They flock in large numbers to her temple in old Thimi. Through time immemorial, she has been the consort of Bhairab. They are both the guardian deities of the Kathmandu Valley.
During the evening, devotees perform righteous acts such as lighting oil lamps. Some even place them on their legs, chest, forehead, and arms and lie static for hours. The next day, to liven up the atmosphere, musicians play Dhimay Baja (traditional drums and cymbals) to encourage the revellers. During the celebration, only the orange-coloured vermilion powder is used, following the age-old tradition where it is considered sacred and pure.
Along with the locals and Nepali revellers, tourists visiting the ancient city of Bhaktapur also take part in the celebration and immerse themselves in the festivity.
"Yesterday I came to Bhaktapur, and today I arrived here at 7 AM; it's very energetic, it's very beautiful, colourful; people are very, very nice. The atmosphere is so happening, I liked it," Kiera, a foreign tourist from Germany-Russia, told ANI.
"More people, more chaotic but more fun, more free. In my country (New Year is celebrated) more with the family, and here I have the impression that you celebrate it with the whole city. It's really nice, like a big community," Kiera added.
As an age-old tradition, revellers smear the "Bhuli," in Newari meaning orange in colour, and "Sinha," meaning Sindoor, on each other's face. It is also celebrated as part of the Biska Jatra (observed in the core Bhaktapur area), and it has been celebrated for ages using Sindoor as the main component, which gave this festivity the name 'Sindoor Jatra'.
The vermilion powder, which is smeared on each other and thrown in the air, is a symbol of prosperity. The music and vermilion powder fill the area with vibrancy and joy as devotees make merry while revolving their community chariots.
Lying in the suburbs of the ancient city of Bhaktapur, the medieval town of Bode has been observing the annual festival of tongue piercing, locally called "Jibro Chedne Jatra."
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Escorted through the crowd of devotees and revellers who had gathered to witness the ritual, Sujan followed in his family's footsteps, continuing a tradition upheld for over two decades. His father, Buddha Krishna, pierced his tongue nine times, and his uncle, Krishna Chandra, 12 times.
This festival, observed annually for centuries, takes place on the second day of the Nepali New Year. The medieval town, which used to be a separate state in the medieval age of Nepal, continues to celebrate this festivity with grandeur.
"Every year on 2nd Baisakh (first month of the Nepali Bikram Sambat calendar), this festival is observed. On the last day of each year, a ceremonial pole is erected in the Mahalaxmi Than. On the first day of the New Year, the living goddess Kumari is taken around the town before midnight, and the pole is taken down. The next day, the Jibro Chedne Jatra (tongue-piercing festival) is observed in the afternoon. The ready person undergoes the ritual and is then taken around the city," Suresh Shrestha, one of the revellers of Bode town, told ANI.
The festival follows a legend which states that, formerly, Bode was in a state of famine. A hierophant suggested that if a person, taking the form of Lord Bhairav, pierced their tongue, it would improve the situation and prevent famine, heavy rain, and other natural disasters. Following this legend, the tradition has continued for years.
It has been observed for over a century, though it may have begun much earlier, as there is no written history about it. According to legends, there is a record of a single person piercing his tongue 31 times.
Bode, a Newa settlement in Bhaktapur, is renowned for its ancient tongue-piercing festival, celebrated every year on the second day of the Nepali New Year.
Ahead of the ritual, the person who performs this arduous act must isolate himself at home, avoiding contact with people outside the family. It is during this time that caste hierarchy comes into play.
Shrestha had stayed at home for a week and refrained from consuming chicken in accordance with the customs. He also underwent a three-day fast, during which he only drank water, which has continued till today.
He is the youngest son of Buddha Krishna Bagh Shrestha, who previously pierced his tongue nine times during the festival. Buddha Krishna continued the tradition from 2005 to 2008 but temporarily stopped following his mother's death.
However, he resumed the practice in 2016 after Juju Bhai Basan, who had pierced his tongue for eight consecutive years from 2009 to 2015, stopped continuing the tradition. Buddha Krishna carried on regularly until 2022, except during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021.
The iron needles used in the festival, measuring 10 inches in length and thick in size, are coated with a metal primer to protect them from rust and are soaked in mustard oil for four days before the festival.
On Tuesday, in front of a sea of devotees, Krishna Chandra Bagh Shrestha, Sujan's 60-year-old elder uncle, pierced his tongue. Krishna Chandra has been regularly performing this ritual for 20 years and pierced his tongue 13 times, from 1992 to 2004.
According to historical records, 13 people have pierced their tongues in the festival's 110-year history. The first recorded person to pierce his tongue was Harka Narsingh Shrestha, who participated in the tradition for 22 years, from 1912 to 1933.
Following him, Bekha Narayan Shrestha pierced his tongue 32 times, from 1934 to 1965. Haridev Kila Shrestha did it once in 1966. Hari Bhasink Shrestha continued the tradition three times from 1967 to 1969, and Indra Bata Shrestha did it twice in 1970 and 1971.
From 1972 to 1974, Harieshwar Bayan Shrestha pierced his tongue three times. Other participants included Chandrasen Dyo Shrestha (seven times from 1975 to 1981), Dil Kumar Khape Shrestha (seven times from 1982 to 1989), and Krishna Chandra Bagh Shrestha, who pierced his tongue 13 times from 1992 to 2004.
Buddha Krishna Bagh Shrestha first pierced his tongue between 2005 and 2008, and Juju Bhai Basan took part in the ceremony from 2009 to 2016. Buddha Krishna resumed the practice from 2016 to 2022. Now, Sujan Bagh Shrestha has been taking part in the ceremony since 2023.
A large crowd gathers every year to witness this fascinating and revered ceremony. It is believed that King Jagajyoti Malla initiated this festival, and it has remained a popular tradition ever since.