Gulmi hymn groups bring back spiritual music
Yub Raj Acharya, now 59, led the Ratamata Bhajan Group, a hymn group, and began singing Lok Bhajan at the age of 14. He brings together young people and elderly, and the hamlet usually has 10–12 people participate in his devotional performances. Acharya instructed young people in the village in Chutka bhajans during the COVID-19 outbreak. Renowned for its Ramayan, Dashain, Ganesh, and Chutka Bhajans, the Ratamata Bhajan Group receives between Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 100,000 for each performance. Members ranging in age from 14 to 75 make up the Rurukshetra Bhajan Group, which was registered last year and performs on Ekadashi. With the help of ward and municipal officials, they hope to preserve cultural customs and values for next generations. A local Bhajan group in Chandrakot Rural Municipality, Shantipur, is led by 56-year-old Shyamlal Gautam.
Since he was a young boy, he has been singing and playing bhajans, just like his father and grandfather. The need for fresh music and genres in the modern era has increased interest in folk bhajans. According to Gautam, caste-based thinking and secularism caused Brahmins to be the only ones who practiced bhajans. Villages organize clubs, gather resources, and boost attendance for bhajans, relying on male performers due to women’s struggles. Resunga Conservation Committee organizes annual tournaments, raising awareness.
