Bisket Jatra
The word 'Biskah' or 'B isket' is said to be derived from 'Bee Sikah', which means 'after death of serpents' . It is said that this festival was begun to celebrate after after the death of serpents, serpents described in various legends. Even though it is said so, from various chronicles, sacred writings, inscriptions and the culture of Bisket, it is known that it was not used in the sense of death of serpents. This festival is celebrated mainly in Bhaktapur and Thimi with Chariot festival, tongue boring festival and with music and dances in other parts of the valley as well.
In the nearby town of Thimi, the Balkumari Jatra takes place, during which the people of Thimi honor the goddess Balkumari, one of Bhairab’s consorts. All through the day(Sanilayeya Jatra or Siddikali Jatra) devotees gather outside the Balkumari temple and in the evening hundreds of oil lamps are lit. The following day(Suthasiya Jatra) the townsmen parade 32 different deities in palanquins around the temple where saffron and vermilion powders are tossed towards them. It is a colorful scene, a sea of humanity bathed in sacred colors. The festival reaches its climax when the palanquin bearing Ganesh, brought from the village of Nagadesh, makes a dash to return home and gets chased by all the other palanquins. Should they manage to catch Ganesh, the festival gets prolonged a little longer but eventually Ganesh does return to Nagadesh after which the procession moves on to the Taleju Temple. (Later on due to some reasons, the chariots and Nagadesh and Bode remains in the stated villages only.)
Following this event, sacrifices are made to the Balkumari in the neighboring village of Bode where there are only seven deities borne on palanquins. In Bode takes place an event which might seem bizarre to outsiders. A volunteer in a spiritual trance gets his tongue pierced with an iron spike. Good fortune to the village and to the volunteer will follow should he succeed in spending the whole day thus spiked.