00:00:04celebration and for piety Hinduism is
00:00:08the main religion here and at this time
00:00:11of year the devout fill the streets
00:00:13where they ask for good fortune in the
00:00:16new year and the men endure elaborate
00:00:19tests of strength and endurance but the
00:00:22village of bow day demonstrates its
00:00:24religious devotion unlike any other
00:00:27there just one man will stand before the
00:00:30gods and undergo a painful trial his
00:00:33name is Krishna Chandra and with
00:00:36thousands watching he will allow a spike
00:00:39to be born into his tongue if his tongue
00:00:43does not bleed it is believed that gods
00:00:46will grant his village prosperity in the
00:00:49year ahead
00:00:50in Nepal the new year starts in April
00:00:53when fields have just been planted and
00:00:55people are praying for a good harvest in
00:00:59BO day that prayer comes in the form of
00:01:01a sacrifice according to legend the
00:01:05village of bow day began it’s unusual
00:01:08ceremony four centuries ago to mark the
00:01:11end of a very dark time a forest demon
00:01:15had been terrorizing the town when the
00:01:18villagers finally caught him they
00:01:20paraded him through the streets his
00:01:22tongue silenced by a metal spike ever
00:01:26since bow day has celebrated the new
00:01:28year by reenacting the demons fall its
00:01:33tongue piercing day krishna has not
00:01:36eaten in three days part of the
00:01:38preparation for his ordeal on his way to
00:01:42the ceremony
00:01:43Krishna stops to pray at every shrine
00:01:45and temple everywhere the gods have
00:01:48visited in the square the crowd begins
00:01:52to buzz with anticipation as boh days
00:01:54mayor takes the stage once on the
00:01:58platform Krishna is greeted as if he
00:02:01himself were divine the blade has not
00:02:05been sterilized there’s no anaesthetic
00:02:08the priest
00:02:10Babu Kashi just dabs Krishna’s tongue
00:02:13with oil to lubricated
00:02:28his tongue does not bleed for the 11th
00:02:32year in a row krishna has passed the
00:02:35most crucial test
00:02:40but his ordeal has only just begun now
00:02:44he must carry a heavy bamboo icon a
00:02:47symbol of the god Shiva through bow days
00:02:50cobbled streets Krishna ends his walk at
00:02:54the town’s main temple just as he
00:02:57crosses the threshold
00:02:58Babu Kazi removes the spike from his
00:03:01tongue as a lasting testament to
00:03:04Krishna’s and the town’s piety the spike
00:03:07is nailed to the temple wall Krishna is
00:03:12free to head home the break is fast and
00:03:14for the priests bubble kanji and the
00:03:17rest of the villagers this painful
00:03:19ritual has once again served its purpose
”