Explore Facts and Folklores: Knowing Biska Jatra
Every year, on a Nepali New Year (Baisakh 1), Biska Jatra celebrates with a grand show. It’s a festival celebrated in various parts of Kathmandu Valley, with Bhaktapur being a center. Besides, Thimi, Bode, Nagadesh, Tigani, Lokanthali, Khadpu, Dhulikhel, Tokha, Sunakothi, and Chaukot also celebrate it with greatness.
The term “Biska” comes with a deep historical root. Sometimes before, it was even popularized as “Bisket”, while we believe the name signifies a lot of things. The chronology suggests the festive with names like “Vishwajatra (बिश्वजात्रा),” “Vishwa Ketu (बिश्वकेतु),” “Bishika Yatra (बिसिका जात्रा),” or “Biskyat (बिस्क्यात).” The term “Bi” means serpent and “Shika” means after killing, which made the term “Bisyaka Jatra (बि स्याका जात्रा)” — jatra on the occasion of snake killing. All of these coincide with folklore and a few as facts. Let’s explore in detail what they suggest.
Folklores
Many myths and stories surround the festival’s origins, passed down through generations. Folklore suggests the relevance of this jatra, which started during Lichhavis after defeating the Kirats. So far, concrete evidence has yet to be found about when this festival started.
The kingdom was attacked during the regime of King Shivadeva/Simhadeva (1098–1126 AD) in Bhaktapur. To strengthen the security and protect his people, the king sought help from his tantric friend, Shekhar Acharya. With his knowledge of tantra (spiritual practices), he transformed himself into a tiger and scared away the invaders. One day, Shekhar’s wife Manarupa wished him to become a serpent. To fulfill her desire, Shekhar transformed himself into a serpent and gave Manarupa the power to turn him back into a human by throwing rice on him. But when Manarupa saw the frightening serpent, she became scared and accidentally turned herself into one. They both remained as serpents, hoping to be recognized, but sadly, no one understood their misfortune. Eventually, feeling hopeless, they ended their lives by the riverbank [said at the premises of Bhadrakali Temple at Yoshikhel (योसिंखेल)]. This tragic event caused a severe drought in Bhaktapur. Realizing the loss of Shekhar Acharya and his wife, the king honored their memory by starting a procession. He ordered the erection of a pole with two banners depicting serpents as a tribute to Shekhar and his wife.
Another folklore tells during the rule of King Vishwa Malla (1547–1560 AD), there was a beautiful princess who expelled a pair of serpents from her nostrils, every night. These serpents grew big and killed anyone who slept beside her. The princess became a widow soon after her marriage, witnessing numerous deaths. This mysterious situation turned challenging as no one dared to marry her afterward. However, one night, a man with tantric power was able to capture and kill the serpents as they emerged from the princess’s nostrils. This historic moment was eventually marked as the beginning of the Biska Jatra festival. The King then introduced the tradition of hoisting two long flags on a tall wooden pole during the festival. This pole, called “Yoshin” and the flags “Haling Pataa (हलिं पता:)” remains a central part of Biska Jatra celebrations. The word Haling Pataa is in Nepalbhasa, which says Haling means the world (Vishwa in Nepali) and pataa means dhwaja, apparently called “Vishwadhwaja (विश्वध्वजा)”.
As per popular belief, Kashi Vishwanath once visited Bhaktapur to witness the Biska Jatra festival. During his visit, a tantric identified him and threw a curse on him. In response, Vishwanath started to sink into the ground to return to Varanasi. However, the tantric managed to capture his head and severed it with his sword. The sacred head of Vishwanath is believed to be enshrined in the Bhairavnath temple in Bhaktapur.
Facts
Historical records dating back to Nepal Sambat 561 (1441 AD) mention the festivals such as Vishwajatra. Likewise, in the Thyasafu (ठ्यासफु ) written between NS 712 to 936 (1592–1816 AD)[1], it noted the festival was celebrated only for two days — on the day of Chaitra Shukla Masanta (end of last month of Nepali Year), the Yonshi (योसिं) (the wooden pole) or even called Yonshi Dyo (य:सिंद्य:) was raised along with Vishwadhwaja (विश्वध्वजा) and on the day of Baisakh Sankranti (the first day of Nepali Year), it was dropped, completing the jatra.
Later, other kings extended the duration of the festival and introduced various functions and traditions. Today, the most prominent feature of the Biska Jatra is the chariot pulling of Bhairavnath, which is believed to have been started by Jagajyotir Malla (1613–1637 AD). The chariot was turned into a three-storied structure during the reign of Bhupatindra Malla (NS 816–842).
