KATHMANDU: Nepathya Tour, that started in the eastern city of Birtamode concluded in the Far-western city of Dhangadi with a power packed performance at the Dhangadi Stadium premises on Thursday.

The tour started in Birtamode on November 20, 2018 and travelled through Dharan and Butwal before reaching Dhangadi.

“This place reminds me of the conflict era we recently went through and the difficult travels we had to make during that time,” said Nepathya front-man Amrit Gurung. “This time I can see the city coming back to life by distancing itself from the effects of the conflict and moving towards prosperity,” he added.

This was Nepathya’s 4th performance in Dhangadi. Earlier, Nepathya had performed in Dhangadi as part of the Sundar Shanta Nepal peace concert tour in 2005 and three other performances as part of Nepathya’s Education for Peace concert tour.

Earlier, when Nepathya performed in Dhangadi, Nepal was drenched in Maoist Conflict and this far west district of Kailali was severely affected. The Sundar Shanta Nepal (Beautiful Peaceful Nepal) and Shanti ko lagi Sikchya (Education for Peace) – travelling Peace concert tours were organised with the motive of providing some solace to conflict effected mindsets of the people.

Amidst the thousands attending the concert in Dhangadi on Thursday, were also the then students, who had their first concert experience in 2005. Earlier, they had enjoyed the show with their friends, and now they had come with their family members.

Bimala Bista was one of them. She was in grade 10 in 2005 and had attended the show with her schoolmates. Today, she was attending the show with her family including a 3 year old daughter and an 8 year old son.

“The show brought back nostalgic memories of those school days. Remembering the fear we lived in, during that time, still gives me a chill,”recalled Bimala. “It was a time when people would refrain from moving around after dusk, let along gathering in numbers,”she added.  She remembers the time when Sundar Shanta Nepal peace concert was organized in her school grounds. “When the peace concert was organized, the musicians had brought with them a sense of relief and I remember thousands of people had gathered in our school ground to support their call for peace.”

The Dhangadhi show started sharp at 5:45 with the projection of Nepathya’s popular music video Sa Karnali. The band took over the stage after that to enthrall the thousands present with two full hours of musical spectacle with a set list which included Nepathya’s classic hits to recent releases.

Gurung, also shared his trekking experience in the far-west and expressed appreciation to the many natural beauties, SudurPachim is blessed with. “I wish and I am confident, those natural wonders will get proper recognition and this state gets a tourism boost soon.” He said.

The show started with Nepathya’s first recorded song, AaganaiBhariand cruised through popular classic hits like Chekyochekyo, JomsomeBazaar, Resham, TaalkoPani before concluding with powerful social and patriotic numbers GaunGaunbataUtha and Rato ra Chandra Surya.