"In the name of modernity, tailors are being neglected due to the easy availability of readymade garments and the increasing trend of hiring brass bands to play music at religious ceremonies," says Nate Damai, a tailor living at Ward No 5 of Bhadrakali VDC in the district.

Stitching clothes and playing traditional musical tunes during religious functions, like marriage ceremonies is traditionally the main source of income for damai community. The increasing external influence in the culture and tradition is not only endangering the ancestral profession of tailors, but is also putting a full stop to their only real source of living these days.

“Earlier, they were hired as "family tailors", going from house to house stitching clothes, but this trend has been slowing fading away due to the massive availability of cheap, readymade clothes at the local market”, says Bhakta Bahadur Nepali of Jalkanya Village Development Committee.

"People have not only stopped using local tailors to stitch their clothes, but have also replaced the ancient and cultural “panche baaja” (five traditional Nepali musical instruments) with the modern English brass band at religious ceremonies," he adds.

"People used to call us to their houses and ask us to stitch clothes for them for five to six days in a row. They used to give us the agricultural products they grow in their fields including rice, wheat and other foods. In return for playing music during religious ceremonies, they would feed us too, but now they hesitate even to give us a handful of rice," laments Nate.

He added that playing Nepali traditional music and stitching clothes are his only means of income, and present he is finding it difficult to look after his family.

However, a section of the population in the district are also concerned about the vanishing traditional Nepali costumes like Daura Suruwal, Cholo, Bhoto, Topi due to modern fashion, and the replacement of Panche Baja by Indian influenced musical bands. They are calling it an outright invasion on Nepali culture.

It is estimated that the population of tailors in Sindhuli district is around 5000.