With the western culture influencing the youth, Nepali folk musical instruments are facing danger of extinction as the new generation seems to be ignorant of the traditional values attached to them. They serve as a window of Nepali culture to the outside world.

Dedicated to the restoration of the vanishing musical instruments, a museum dedicated to preserving traditional musical instruments has been opened since 2054 BS. Nepali Folk Musical Instrument Museum (NFMIM) started collecting rare and musical instruments from 2053 and collection totalled 161 kinds of folk instruments of total 280 kinds of disappearing instruments. It also organises monthly folk cultural programme ‘melodious folk musical tour’ in order to display and safeguard the instruments on the verge of extinction.

In an attempt to continue with the theme of colleting such rare instruments, NFMIM on Sunday organised its second programme displaying endangered cultural heritages where Shubi Shah, enchanted the audience with her mellifluous tunes.

Similarly, Shah on the occasion sang Badan Gatha, a disappearing cultural trend in the world of musical folklore. The enthralled audience lauded the tune and its cultural significance.

“Badan Gatha is a kind of repertoire that upper caste-Brahmins used to sing earlier in some religious as well as social ceremonies. The songs include stories from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Krishna Charitra, the religious texts of Hindus”, said Shah on the occasion. Jhyaure songs and dances including Sangini Geet (popular song among the mid-kiranti period) and Chaithak dance (popular dance of Maithili society) were also performed.

Bullu Mukarum, noted musician, concluded seven days flute playing training provided by Subi Shah in co-ordination of NFMIM, distributing certificates to the participants where ten participants have participated.