| Biska Jatra 𑐧𑐶𑐳𑑂𑐎𑐵𑑅 𑐖𑐵𑐟𑑂𑐬𑐵 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Festival |
| Dates | 14 April (13 April on leap years) |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location(s) | Bhaktapur District |
| Country | Nepal |
| Activity | Religious |
Biskā Jātrā (Newar: 𑐧𑐶𑐳𑑂𑐎𑐵𑑅 𑐖𑐵𑐟𑑂𑐬𑐵, biskāḥ jātrā), also known as Bisket Jatra (Nepali: बिस्केट जात्रा) refers to an annual festival celebrated in April at Bhaktapur, Thimi and their environs.[1] In many of the places where it is celebrated including Bhaktapur and Thimi, Biska acts as the main celebration of the year. Biska unlike other Nepalese festivals is based on the solar calendar instead of a lunar calender.[2]
The name Biska encompasses festivals celebrated around the same time in Bhaktapur, Thimi, Bode, Nagadesh, Dhapasi, Tokha, Dhulikhel, Katunje, Gundu and Sanga all of which were once part of the Kingdom of Bhaktapur.[1] Biska originated as festival celebrating the March equinox and the Solar New Year in Bhaktapur by exhibiting a long banner tied in a long wooden pole.[2] During the Malla dynasty, the festival spread to other parts of the kingdom and many new traditions were added, including the chariot festival of Bhairava and his consort Bhadrakali in Bhaktapur, the sindoor throwing festival in Thimi, both of which constitute the most iconic part of the festival today.[3] Each city has its own unique way of celebrating the festival.
The contemporary name of the festival in Nepal Bhasa, biskāḥ, originates from the Classical Newar term biskyāta (𑐧𑐶𑐳𑑂𑐎𑑂𑐫𑐵𑐟).[3][4] This classical term, "biskyāta" is a compound of two elements, "bisika" (or "bisaka") and "ketu", where bisika denotes the March equinox in Classical Newar, derived from its Sanskrit name viṣuvad which is also the etymological source of Vaisakha.[2] Concurrently, 'ketu,' a Sanskrit loanword signifying 'banner' contributes to the formation of 'biskyāta'.[3][5] The designation jātrā (𑐖𑐵𑐟𑑂𑐬𑐵) finds its roots in the Sanskrit yātrā (यात्रा), meaning 'journey' or 'procession'. In Nepali, the festival is referred to as Bisket Jatra, a Nepali adaptation of the indigenous term "biskāḥ jātrā".[3]
In local legends, the name biskāḥ (𑐧𑐶𑐳𑑂𑐎𑐵𑑅) is believed to be derived from combination of two Newar words, bi and sikā which when combined with jātrā means "festival commemorating the death of serpent" (see Legends below).[3][6]
Many legends relating to the festival's start of the festival are popularly retold as folklore in Bhaktapur, all of them end with two serpents being killed and their carcass displayed via a long wooden pole.[3] Following are two of the most popular legends:
"During the Licchavi Dynasty, the monarch of Bhaktapur, Shivadeva II was troubled by frequent raids from the Kirata and so he sought help from Vajrayogini of Sankhu. The goddess advised Shivadeva to seek Sekhar Āchāju, a Tantric magician. Upon meeting Sekhar Achaju, the king came to know of the magician's ability to transform himself into a tiger using special rice husks. Thus, when the Kirata attacked next time, the Tantric Sekhar Achaju turned himself into a tiger and then summoned hundreds of tigers from the forest; the combined tiger army scared away the Kirata forces. The king, pleased with Sekhar Achaju welcomed him into Thimi with a sindoor throwing festival. Once home, Sekhar Achaju's wife Nararupā, having heard of her husband's secret ability, expressed her wish to see a python (bi in Newar) and requested her husband to transform into one. Sekhar Achaju hands Nararupā a handful of his special rice husks, informing her to throw them once she is satisfied with his transformation so that he could revert back to a human. Having informed his wife, Sekhar Achaju uses his Tantric powers to transform himself into a python but upon seeing the snake, Nararupā runs away in terror. Sekhar Achaju as a python, goes after his wife hoping to transform back into a human. While running Nararupa's jani (a traditional cloth belt) loosens and in order to make her hands free to tighten it, she puts the special rice husks inside her mouth causing her to transform into a python as well. Since the only other person to know Sekhar Achaju's rice husks was the king himself the couple then crawls to Shivadeva's palace, hoping that the king would revert the spell. Shivadeva not knowing the pythons' true identity orders his men to leave the snakes as it is. Hopeless, the couple kill themselves outside the city. Drought and other mishaps follow the couple's death and Shivadeva once again approaches Sekhar Achaju only to find his house empty. However, two snake trails catches his eye and following the trail, he finds two long python carcasses. Shivadeva finally realizes what had happened and in order to celebrate Sekhar Achaju, the man who had saved his kingdom starts a new festival set around displaying the carcass of the heroic Sekhar Achaju and his wife by tying them in a long pole".[7]
The signature event on Bhaktapur Taumadhi kicks off the Biska jatra "dya koha bijyaigu" which means the god Bhairava is brought outside from its temple for the festival, it is a tug-of-war between the Thane (upper) and Kone (lower) part of town. The chariot is pulled from both sides and whoever wins that part of town gets to take the chance of the chariot to their place while the other sides wait for their turn. The chariot is at last pulled down to gahiti where the chariot is kept for two days and again pulled down to Lyasinkhel on the eve of Nepali new year.
An approximately 25 meter Yoh si Dyo is erected in the yosi khyo. The chariot is then pulled on the Lyasinkhel and kept till the next day. The Yoh si is pulled down on the eve of New Year. Then again the chariot is pulled to gahiti and on the last day which is also called " dya thaha bijyaigu" which means god Bhairava is again brought to temple,all the people are, the chariot is again pulled on both sides and finally settled to the premises of 5 storied temple.
Several places in Madhyapur Thimi (Thimi, Nagadesh and Bode) also celebrate Biska Jatra. Folks from various parts of Madhyapur Thimi gather, carrying their own chariots in Layeku Thimi. People celebrate and share greetings, throwing simrik color powder and playing Dhimay music.
Bode witnesses a tongue-piercing ceremony. One resident spends the whole day with an iron spike piercing his tongue and roams the city by carrying multiple fiery torches on his shoulder. Juju Bhai Shrestha is the most renowned tongue piercer town.[8][9][10]