Magar women in Gulmi receive Naumati Baja

By Our Correspondent, Gulmi, Jan. 18: Naumati Baja, a group of Nepali traditional musical instruments, has been handed over to women in Gulmi under the approved programme of the Ishma Rural Municipality in the district. 

The musical instruments were specifically given to the Magar community women of Ward No. 4 of the rural municipality for cultural preservation.

The area has the dominating population of the Magar community. 

Chairman Bhagatsingh Khadka emphasised the need to preserve the disappearing traditional Naumati Baja and announced that the rural municipality would provide training to the women alongside the instrument transfer.

The rural municipality’s objective is to culturally and economically empower Magar women by teaching them to play the instruments, and the rural municipality plans to offer training in playing the Naumati instrument as required.  The Naumati Baja, valued at about Rs. 200,000, has been entrusted to the women. 

The rural municipality expressed its intention to establish a women's Naumati instrument group in all wards if the women effectively learn to play the instrument.

Vice-chair of the rural municipality Parbati Kunwar said that women and sisters would benefit from the initiative and urged them to make proper use of the Baja. She emphasised the necessity of fulfilling the purpose by ensuring that the instruments are not kept unused in someone’s house.

The women who received the Naumati Baja expressed their joy and gratitude to the rural municipality. 

They pledged to learn to play the instrument skillfully and expressed their commitment to inspiring others in the community to move forward.