Nepal Erases Bhrikuti: Undermining a Sacred Tibetan Legacy

Nepal’s recent decision to remove Bhrikuti, the famed Nepali queen of Tibet’s King Songtsen Gampo, from its national luminaries list has sparked debate on history and cultural ties. As a scholar of Tibetan studies and rituals, this move raises questions about how rituals, royal legacies and cross-border identities shape Tibetan heritage. This article explores the story, its rituals and broader implications.

Bhrikuti’s Historical Role

Bhrikuti, known as Brikuti Devi or Bhelsa Tritsun in Tibetan, was a princess from Nepal who married King Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century. Songtsen Gampo ruled the Tibetan Empire from 618 to 650 CE, uniting tribes and expanding territory across the Himalayas. He sent envoys to Nepal around 640 CE to seek her hand, strengthening alliances between the two kingdoms.

Her marriage brought Buddhism deeper into Tibet. Bhrikuti carried a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha from Nepal, which became the central image in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. This temple remains a key pilgrimage site where Tibetans perform prostrations and circumambulations as daily rituals. These acts involve full-body bows while chanting “Om Mani Padme Hum,” earning merit to purify karma.

In Tibetan lore, Bhrikuti embodies compassion and tantric wisdom, linked to the Green Tara deity. Rituals honoring her include offerings of rice, flowers and butter lamps during festivals like Saga Dawa. Nepal’s removal of her from the list overlooks this shared legacy, as Tibetans still invoke her in prayers for protection and harmony.

Songtsen Gampo’s Legacy in Rituals

Songtsen Gampo is revered as a dharmaraja, a king who ruled with Buddhist dharma. He built the first Tibetan temples, like the Rasa Trulnang Tsuglagkhang, later expanded into the Jokhang. His marriages to Bhrikuti and Wencheng from China symbolized cultural exchange, introducing scripts, agriculture, and Buddhist icons.

Tibetan rituals trace back to his era. The king instituted the practice of weaving prayer flags, inscribed with mantras, to spread blessings via wind. Today, Tibetans hang these during Losar, the Tibetan New Year, while reciting aspirations for peace. Prostrations before his statues, touching forehead, throat, and heart, mimic his devotion to the Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma, Sangha.

Weisang, a fire offering ritual, evolved under his influence. Lamas burn juniper and cypress branches, tossing roasted barley (tsampa) into the smoke to invoke deities. This purifies spaces for weddings, harvests, or journeys, reflecting the king’s efforts to blend Bon shamanism with Buddhism. Nepal’s act diminishes Bhrikuti’s role in these foundational practices.

**Nepal Princess Bhrikuti Devi, known to Tibetans as Bhelsa Tritsun, is traditionally considered to have been the first wife of the emperor of Tibet, Songtsen Gampo.**

The Nepali National Luminaries List

Nepal maintains a list of national luminaries honoring figures who advanced its culture and history. Bhrikuti appeared there as a symbol of Licchavi-era pride, when her father, King Amshuvarma, ruled Kathmandu Valley. Recent updates, reported January 22, 2026, by Tibetan Review, removed her due to “lack of historical evidence” on her exact birthplace or deeds.

Historians debate details, as records like the Tibetan Annals and Nepali vamsavalis mix legend with fact. Some Nepali scholars argue she was from a local clan, not royalty, questioning her “national” status. Yet, Tibetan sources, including the Pillar of Samye, affirm her as daughter of the Licchavi king, cementing her as a bridge between realms.

This erasure ignores archaeological ties, like similar stupa designs in Nepal’s Svayambhunath and Tibet’s Samye. Rituals at these sites, such as butter lamp lighting, echo her dowry’s influence. The decision may stem from modern nationalism, prioritizing internal heroes over those tied to Tibet amid China tensions.

Cultural Impact on Tibetan Rituals

Bhrikuti’s legacy permeates Tibetan rituals, especially those for women and prosperity. In Green Tara sadhanas, practitioners visualize her as the goddess granting swift wishes. Daily recitations use her mantra, “Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha,” with mudras hand gestures holding a lotus. Monasteries like Samye perform these during empowerments.

Sky burials, a ritual blending Bon and Buddhist elements, indirectly link to her era’s syncretism. Bodies offered to vultures on mountain tops purify through the five elements, a practice Songtsen Gampo’s laws codified. Bhrikuti’s arrival softened rigid customs, introducing merciful Buddhist views on impermanence.

Prayer wheels, spun clockwise while mentally reciting mantras, honor her introduction of sutras. Tibetans in exile, numbering 13,500 in Nepal per 2009 surveys, maintain these at Boudhanath stupa, circling it oddly numbered times. Removing her status severs ritual narratives Tibetans hold sacred.

Reactions in Tibetan Communities

Tibetan exiles view this as cultural erasure, mirroring China’s policies in Xinjiang and Tibet. Social media buzzed post the January 22 report, with hashtags like #BhrikutiLegacy trending on platforms favored by diaspora. Activists argue it weakens Nepal-Tibet bonds, vital since 1959 when Nepal hosted refugees.

In Dharamsala, leaders like those from the Central Tibetan Administration decry it as historical revisionism. Rituals persist: annual Bhrikuti puja at Jokhang draws pilgrims prostrating 100,000 times yearly for merit. Nepal’s move risks alienating these communities, who contribute economically via carpets and thangkas.

Scholars counter that lists evolve with evidence. Yet, Tibetan studies emphasize oral traditions lavngas passed via rituals, not just texts. Chanting her name during tsok offerings, communal feasts, keeps her alive in collective memory.

Broader Geopolitical Context

Nepal navigates pressures from India and China, both claiming Bhrikuti’s narrative. China promotes Wencheng as Tibet’s civilizer, sidelining Bhrikuti. Nepal’s list tweak may appease Beijing, amid Belt and Road investments. Tibetans see parallels to sinicization erasing monastery teachings.

Rituals resist this: during Shoton Festival, yogurt offerings and cham dances reenact royal histories, including Songtsen Gampo’s court. Yak races symbolize empire’s strength. Nepal’s 20,000 Tibetan refugees, per CTA data, face tighter rules, echoing this shift.

Human rights groups note similar erasures in Tibet, where Bon rituals face curbs. Bhrikuti’s story underscores resilience her image in Jokhang withstands centuries, blessed by Dalai Lamas via smoke offerings.

Ritual Significance Today

Modern Tibetan rituals blend Bhrikuti’s influence seamlessly. Morning pujas light butter lamps, flickering like her enduring light. Pilgrims flick milk skyward, a pre-Buddhist rite she refined. These earn merit, countering samsara’s cycles.

In homes, altars feature her alongside Songtsen Gampo, with water bowls and incense. Tantric empowerments invoke her for fertility and safe births, vital in high-altitude life. Nepal’s decision prompts reflection: rituals transcend lists, rooted in lived devotion.

Exile youth adapt via apps reciting mantras, sharing videos of prostrations at Nepali stupas. This digital preservation counters erasures, much like mani stones etched eternally.

Implications for Shared Heritage

This event highlights fragile histories. Tibetan Buddhism’s rituals prostrations, flags, fires forge identity beyond borders. Bhrikuti’s removal challenges Nepal to balance evidence with symbolism, vital for Himalayan harmony.

Scholars urge joint excavations at ancient sites, reviving Licchavi-Tibetan ties. Rituals like Losar feasts invite Nepalis, fostering unity. Her story teaches interdependence, core to Buddhist emptiness doctrine.

Ultimately, no list dims her ritual role. Tibetans spin wheels, chant her praises, ensuring Bhelsa Tritsun endures in smoke and stone.