On the occasion of Ashwin Shukla Purnima, the traditional “Yenya Punhiya Mey Pwah Khanegu” or Jibro Chedne Jatra, which involves piercing the tongue, completed its circuit around the Pashupati area and returned to Bhaktapur.
On the evening of the event, Birendra Bhakta Shrestha of Madhyapur Thimi-5 had his tongue pierced with a 10-inch-long needle in front of the Digu Bhairav shrine in Digu Tole, Madhyapur Thimi. Carrying a 40-kilogram Bhwaya (Mahadip), Shrestha walked barefoot to Pashupatinath Temple, marking this important ritual.
Shrestha’s journey began in Thimi, making stops at several significant sites such as Nigu Pukhu, Laiku, and the Thasma Ganesh Temple in Kwalakhu (Balkumari), before passing through Tachu Tole, Sunga Tole (Vishnubeer), Indrayani, Siddhikali Temple, and Manohara Khola Bridge. The procession continued through Purano Sinamangal, Khahare Chowk, and Gujeshwari Temple, before finally reaching Pashupatinath.
Around 12:30 a.m., Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Badriprasad Pandey, welcomed the Jatra at Pashupatinath. According to photojournalist Ratna Krishna Shrestha, who participated in the event, Minister Pandey poured purified mustard oil into Shrestha’s pierced tongue using a golden spoon from a silver bowl, prepared by the Pashupati Area Development Trust, as per tradition. Shrestha carried a crescent-shaped Bhwaya adorned with 17 lamps to Pashupatinath by foot.
After worshipping at Pashupatinath, the procession retraced its steps, returning via the same route. Upon reaching Tindhara Barrack Chowk in Sanothimi, the journey continued through Nagdash, Garcha Chowk, Bahakha Bazaar, Bhimsen Temple, Chapacho, Digu Tole, and Nigu Pukhu, before concluding at Balkumari Temple.
By tradition, Shrestha then removed the needle from his tongue and struck it into the temple’s wooden pillar. The wound on his tongue was treated with sacred soil from the Nitya Nath deity’s complex, symbolizing the end of the ritual.
The Jibro Chedne Jatra, an ancient and sacred tradition, continues to fascinate locals and tourists alike, serving as a profound representation of Nepal’s rich cultural and religious heritage.
