Youth Actively Engaged in Preserving Traditional Flute Playing

Kathmandu – The Newar community is renowned for its tradition of playing the bamboo flute. To sustain this heritage, it is crucial to transfer the skill from one generation to the next. In line with this, Siddhi Ganesh Dafa Bhajan Khalah, located in Lokanthali, Madhyapur Thimi-1, organized a bamboo flute training program. After nine months of training, a closing ceremony and performance event (Baja Pithnegu Jyajhwah) was held to mark the conclusion of the flute training program.

The graduation event included performances and a city procession on Sunday. Eleven trainees, ranging in age from eight to sixty years, participated in the program. The young participants expressed great enthusiasm about learning the traditional instruments.

Trainer Sahil Dware said, “If we youth do not protect it, then who else will? The preservation of Newar culture, music, and traditions rests in our hands.” Twenty-three-year-old Guru Dware, also a trainer in this program, explained, “I am teaching to pass on the traditional skills I have learned to the new generation.” He added, “With the mindset that the youth must safeguard music, I am not only teaching Nepali songs but also many aspects of music—ragas, sur, tanpura, notation, and how to count beats.” He is making efforts to connect modern technology with traditional music in the teaching process. “Playing the bamboo flute is not just an art but can also serve as a means of livelihood,” he emphasized.

He also mentioned that training is being provided for Dha: instruments, which hold great significance in Newar tradition. Currently, eight individuals are receiving Dha: instrument training. Instruction is provided only to those interested, and sessions are conducted in the evening after other responsibilities are completed. “There is a unique joy when sitting down to play instruments with the trainees,” Dware said. Participants come from all age groups, and each has a distinct experience in learning. In the past, playing traditional instruments in the Newar community was mostly associated with Maharjan or Jyapu castes. However, this pattern has changed recently, and many young people are now eager and attracted to learning traditional instruments,