Three generations unite to preserve traditional culture

By Our Correspondent,Jajarkot, Oct. 13: Three generations have come together to preserve their original art and culture in Jajarkot. In various villages, efforts have begun to pass down traditional practices to the younger generation to protect and sustain the local heritage.

Last year, during Tihar, elders who used to celebrate Deusi Bhailo with loud sound systems have now shifted their focus toward teaching the youth traditional music and dance. 

Starting from Bhai Tika to Panchami, they used to sing and dance for entertainment, but this year, they have started training young people to preserve the art and culture.

According to Bhim Prasad Sharma of Bheri Municipality–11, the younger generation is now being taught the arts and traditions learned by their forefathers.

The melodious folk tunes that echo through the villages, especially during the monsoon season, have inspired many young people to get involved in cultural preservation after surviving several natural disasters. From Dashain to Tihar, they now perform traditional music and dance using instruments like madal, temki, and jhayali, wearing traditional attire during weddings, worship rituals, and village fairs.

The folk melodies, once performed only by the elders, are now being sung by the youth with the same rhythm and spirit.

According to another folk music enthusiast, Keshav Prasad Sharma, the older generation, those above 50, used to enjoy preserving culture through performances during Dashain, Tihar, and various celebrations. 

“For the past two years, we have been including the younger generation as well,” he said. “In the past, our fathers’ generation used to showcase their talent and entertain people during festivals, but now we make sure to involve our sons and grandsons to prevent these traditions from disappearing.”

With the upcoming fifth anniversary of the Jajarkot Heritage Preservation Foundation on January 26, youths are preparing to perform traditional folk art and culture. Elders are being treated as mentors, guiding and teaching the younger generation in villages. As traditional art and culture are part of the village’s identity and a source of attraction for tourists, the use of sound systems has been gradually decreasing.

Dote Badi from  Rawatgaun, Bheri Municipality–1, said that since young people started engaging in the preservation of local art and culture, the use of traditional instruments like madal and temki has increased. However, he also added that when youths get drawn toward modern sound systems, the use and production of traditional instruments tend to decline.