Kathmandu: Twenty-eight-year-old Sujan Bagha Shrestha will pierce his tongue for the third time during the ‘Tongue Piercing Festival’ celebrated on Baisakh 2 in Bode, Madhyapurthimi Municipality. Sujan is continuing a family tradition, as his father, Buddha Krishna Bagha Shrestha, pierced his tongue nine times, and his uncle, Krishna Chandra Bagh Shrestha, did so 12 times.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Sujan is committed to participating again this year to preserve and continue the festival. The event takes place in the presence of thousands of devotees at the ancient Pancho Ganesh Temple. After the piercing, participants carry a crescent-shaped lamp and walk around the city of Bode. The tradition concludes with the removal of the needle at the Mahalakshmi Temple.
The festival has a rich history, with 13 people having pierced their tongues consecutively over the past 108 years.