Newar youths in Bhaktapur active in preserving culture during Nawaratri festival

Bhaktapur: The youth of the Newar community here have been actively involved in preserving culture by playing traditional musical instruments during Dashain.

Since September 22, Ghatasthapana, the first day of the 10-day Dashain festival, groups of young men and women from respective communities have been visiting various temples during the Nawaratri, playing instruments like the Dhime.

The night air is filled with festive melody of the musical instruments with the various groups of youths visiting temples while playing the instruments on their way to and from the temples.

Locals say that the Newar youths dressed in traditional attire played instruments like Dhime, flute, and jhyali door to door, adding to the festive atmosphere of the Nawaratri after reaching the temple.

From Ghatasthapana to the night of Nawami, these bands add to the festivities of Dashain, says local resident of Taumadhi, Bijay Dhaubadel.

Ramchandra Prajapati of Dattatreya said that during Dashain, Bhaktapur resonated with the tunes of the traditional bands in the evenings and nights, and there is festive fervor as devotees are seen thronging at the goddess shrines in the ancient city.

Pratima Shrestha, who came to participate in the Nawaratri festival playing the Dhime drum, said, “Playing the dhime brings joy. This is also a legacy from our ancestors. Earlier, girls were not allowed to play the drum, but that is no longer the case. That is why I am attracted to playing the dhime drum.”

The number of young women coming to the fair playing instruments has also been increasing every year. “Earlier, most of the players were young men, but now young women’s attraction to playing the instruments has increased equally,” said Sunita Kharbuja, who came to play the cymbals in the band.

Kharbuja stated that after receiving training in playing the drum, she began playing it during festivals and celebrations.

Prakash Dhaubadel, a cultural expert from Bhaktapur, mentioned that seeing the increased interest of young people in playing the traditional musical instruments, he is confident that the local culture as well as the traditional musical instruments will be preserved. (RSS)