Sujan Bag Shrestha Pierces Tongue for Fourth Year to Sustain Bode’s Ancient New Year Tradition

The historic ‘Jibro Chhedne Jatra’, a renowned tongue-piercing festival celebrated annually on the second day of the Nepali New Year in Bode, Madhyapur Thimi, was observed with great enthusiasm this year.

Continuing a deep-rooted family legacy, 29-year-old Sujan Bag Shrestha pierced his tongue for the fourth consecutive time to ensure the tradition’s continuity. Sujan is the youngest son of 51-year-old Buddha Krishna Bag Shrestha, who had previously performed the ritual nine times before passing the responsibility to his son three years ago. This lineage of devotion is well-established in their family, as Buddha Krishna’s brother, Krishna Chandra Bag Shrestha, had also famously pierced his tongue twelve times in the past.

The festival is bound by rigorous spiritual and physical disciplines that the participant must follow once the initial ‘Chardam’ ritual is performed. To maintain the necessary purity for the ceremony, Sujan was required to avoid physical contact with women or anyone deemed “impure,” including those in mourning or post-birth ritual periods.

Additionally, the tradition dictates a strict diet that excludes salt and requires the participant to remain strictly within the geographical boundaries of Bode until the festival concludes. Through these disciplined observances and the physical act of piercing, the community continues to celebrate a unique cultural heritage that has been preserved for generations.