Madhyapurthimi: On the occasion of Ashwin Shukla Poornima, the ‘Yenya Punhi Mye Pwa: Khanegu Jatra’, also known as the Tongue Piercing Festival, is being celebrated in Madhyapurthimi this evening. The festival is set to commence at 7:00 pm from Digubhairav Dabali in Diguli, Madhyapurthimi-5.
According to National News Agency Nepal, this year’s event will once again feature Birendra Bhakta Gaju Shrestha from Balkumari, Madhyapurthimi-4, who will continue the tradition by piercing his tongue. Madhyapurthimi hosts two distinct tongue-piercing festivals. The first occurs in Bode during Biskha Jatra every year on Baisakh 2, while the second takes place the day after Indra Jatra, on Ashwin Shukla Poornima.
Each festival holds unique characteristics. In Bode, the event involves a single participant who follows a predetermined route. Conversely, the ‘Yenya Punhi Mye Pwa Khanegu Jatra’ in Thimi allows multiple participants to pierce their tongues and follow their own paths.
Birendra Bhakta first participated in the festival by piercing his tongue in 2074 BS and has continued the practice, marking his third consecutive year last year. He expressed his commitment to preserving the history, tradition, and culture of Thimi by participating in the festival. Last year, he visited Pashupatinath and plans to visit Bhaktapur this year for the Datta Yatra and Nava Durga.