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Bisket Jatra

Biskā Jātrā, also known as Biska Jatra refers to an annual festival celebrated in April at Bhaktapur, Thimi and their environs. 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 Hindu solar calendar instead of the Nepalese lunar calendar.

Etymology
The name biskāḥ is popularly believed to originate from the Newar term, bi sika, translating to "the serpent is killed", linking it to a popular legend regarding the festival's origin involving the death of two serpents. This Classical Newar term is a compound from of two words, bisika and ketu, where ketu is a direct adaption of the Sanksrit word ketu (केतु) for banner and bisika is the term for the Solar New Year in Classical Newar, derived from the Sanskrit name for the March equinox, viṣuvad . The name refers to a pair of long banner that is exhibited during the Solar New Year in Bhaktapur. Similarly, in Nepali, the festival is referred to as Bisket Jatra, a Nepali adaptation of the Newar term "biskāḥ jātrā". == Origin ==
Origin
Legends 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. However, contrary to the local folklore, historians also agree that the red banners is not related serpents. Adorned with the Ashtamangala, the banner pair is an auspicious symbol displayed during the Solar New Year to impart good fortune to the people of Bhaktapur for the rest of the year. == Observations ==
Observations
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 is erected in the . The chariot is then pulled on the Lyasinkhel and kept till the next day. The 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. == See also ==
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