The Nepalese capital city of Kathmandu is home to a peculiar shrine to goddess Vaisha Dev, the patron saint of toothache, where people suffering from dental problems nail rupee coins on an old tree trunk as offerings.

Located on a narrow street in Kathmandu, between Thamel and Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Toothache Tree is undoubtedly one of the most unusual tourist attractions in the Nepalese capital. The Vaisha Dev shrine is said to be a stump cut from the mythical tree known as Bangemudha, but it’s almost impossible to tell that it is a tree at all, as it is completely covered in Nepalese rupee coins nailed onto it. Although it is impossible to know just how old this unique shrine really is, some sources claim that it dates back to the Lichchhavi kingdom that existed in the Kathmandu Valley from approximately 400 to 750 CE. Even though modern dentistry has been practiced in Kathmandu for decades, people still come to the Toothache Tree to nail coins, hoping the goddess will release them of their dental problems.

Photo: Bangamudha/Wikimedia Commons

Legend has it that there is a tiny gold-carved idol deep inside the main hole of this sacred tree stump, but the nailed coins that line the inside of the orifice make it impossible to see inside it. According to Earth Storiez, the gold idol was stolen long ago, although that did not affect the popularity of the toothache shrine in any way.

Over the years, the toothache tree of Kathmandu has attracted both toothache sufferers hoping to be relieved of their pain and dentists looking for business. Prayers are good, but for people looking for a more hands-on approach, there are dozens of dental clinics around the Vaisha Dev Shrine. There are so many of them nowadays that the area around the famous tree stump is now known as the city’s dental district.

 

Even though dentistry has come a long way in recent years with the help of technological advancements, people still come to the Toothache Tree to nail on coins whenever they experience dental pain.