Youth start ‘Bhajan Kirtan Sanjh’ campaign

By Santosh Subedi,Kaski, Nov. 19: A nearly three-hundred-year-old home, Shatabdi Ghar, adorned with balcony architecture, reflects not only the beauty of traditional brick and wood craftsmanship, but also the heritage of hilly culture, history, and spirituality. 

Every Saturday evening, young people gather in this house, carrying a Madal on their shoulders and a Jhurma in their hands. To preserve age-old traditions and pass them on to the new generation, a group of youth from Parbat has launched a weekly ‘Bhajan Kirtan Sanjh’ campaign.

To safeguard the art of religious hymns and transfer them to future generations, Bhajans are performed every Saturday at the historic Shatabdi Ghar in Kushma Bazaar. The organisers aim to expand this practice to every village and ensure that the knowledge of Bhajan is handed down from elders to youth.

RK Adipta Giri, coordinator of the Bhajan programme, said the weekly Bhajan Sanjh was initiated to preserve original art and culture for the younger generation.

“The campaign was launched to pass the tradition from the older generation to the new one while also creating a space for community gathering,” he said.

He added that Bhajans are not only enjoyable but also carry religious significance and cultural knowledge for the young generation. According to him, the attraction of Bhajan Sanjh performed with Nepal’s traditional art, vocals, and instruments is steadily increasing.

“This campaign will continue. After the Bhajan initiative, we also plan to spread cultural awareness by visiting religious sites through a Sadbhava Yatra,” he said.

Basant Bastola, coordinator of the Parbat Youth Network Bhajan Group and Bhajan Mandali, said the campaign was started at Shatabdi Ghar because it is the responsibility of the youth to preserve and revive ancient art and culture.

He said participants can gain knowledge while enjoying Bhajan Kirtan every Saturday from 5 pm to 7 pm. The initiative that began with just five to seven people now draws a large number of young participants.