"People don't have the time for bhajans these days," Bhim Bahadur says, trying not to sound bitter but unable to mask his disappointment. "Bhajans are a part of our culture. It's our heritage, which taught us many things," he adds. However, the changing time hasn't been too good for bhajan enthusiasts.
Traditionally, bhajans were a daily affair, played throughout the 12 months, each season having a different tune to acknowledge the beauty of that time of the year. Bhajans accompany almost all religious festivals and celebrations in the Newar community. It's an essential part of the festivals but its importance perhaps lies in how it sends out a message of devotion and incites the feeling of respect and reverence towards tradition and culture, and also God.
Bhajans originated between three to four centuries ago, during the Malla period. The Malla kings were known to be pious, and held religious events in their palace premises time and again. Because of this, many people at that time were involved in singing and playing traditional songs and instruments. The bhajan gurus were Maithali Brahmins, and it had a considerable influence on language. Hence, besides Sanskrit and Nepal bhasa, the religious songs would sometimes be sung in Maithali. Now, you can also hear songs in Nepali.
The old bhajans found a new purpose during the Rana regime, when the country was shrouded in the cloak of illiteracy. When Juddha Shumsher was the prime minister of the country in the 1990s, Shukraraj Shastri spread political messages disguised in the form of bhajans. Because the regime prosecuted opposing political movement and speeches, Shastri was forced to teach people of the atrocities via this melodious medium. "It worked to a certain extent. We now know Shastri as a martyr," says Kajiman Dongol, who did his Masters in Nepal Bhasa from Patan Multiple Campus.
There are four kinds of bhajans. Mridanga and Nagara bhajans are named after the instruments on which they are played. Hari bhajan uses harmonium and tabla. Dapha bhajan was the oldest and the most popular and used khi, a kind of drum instrument. Gyanmala bhajan was introduced not more than 60 years ago. It is different than other bhajans as it encompasses the teachings of Lord Buddha.
Although the modern times have not been kind to this tradition, there are still parties and groups that are trying to keep the custom alive. Members at Young Men's Buddhist Association Nepal (YMBA) have been taking bhajans seriously. Every evening, a bunch of members gather at the organization's building, and prepare for their performance for the upcoming Buddha Jayanti. As there are many groups within the organization, the number of participants for the Bhajan is rarely the same. However, they are proud to have been able to entice around a dozen of young people from the locality into joining the bhajan group.
Their formula? "We have been trying to modify and modernize bhajans," says Sanu Bhai Shakya, a member of the bhajan group, and also a madal player. They have been looking at things from a different perspective. They mostly play gyanmala bhajan, which restricts the lyrics to the teachings of Lord Buddha. But the inclusion of instruments like guitar and violin has brought in young people.
Utsav Bajracharya, Sajal Bajracharya and Sankalpa Shakya, who just stepped in their teens, would have never joined a bhajan group six months ago and they would have never thought of forming their own musical group, which they named Ysumbaja, and playing with people who are much older than they are, had it not been for the efforts of the older generation to lure in the younger generation.
The group has been really careful about how to make young people participate in the bhajan with them. "Besides giving them something to play with that are not exactly old and boring, we give them the example of famous singers like Deepak Bajracharya and Fatteman Singh Pradhan, who started by singing bhajans," explains Sanu Bhai.
Uday Man Ratnakar, former chairman of YMBA, mentions that this is a move that needed to be taken for the sake of revival of bhajan. "Modern music has a strong influence on young people, and incorporating it in bhajans is just one of the many ways we can get youths interested in it," he says.
But there's a glitch in the plan. As there are very few young people who actually speak the Nepal bhasa, teaching them songs in that language has specially been difficult. When the young people are not even speaking their mother tongue, making them play in a Newari song is a commendable task. However, this also breaks free from the original purpose. There have been people who have criticized them for 'straying' from the path and making no sense. But Ratnakar argues that many others are also supporting it, congratulating them on arousing the interest of the young talents regarding bhajans.
Even the participation of women in such bhajan groups has taken a positive turn. Women were initially not allowed to participate in bhajans, as it was believed that the instruments housed Lord Shiva, and touching them during their menstrual cycle was forbidden. However, the groups have come to terms with the reality and have become more accepting.
To encourage it further, the Boudha Jagaran Sanstha, an organization that promotes the teachings of Lord Buddha, has been hosting Bhajan competitions for the last five years. It judges the participants on the basis of creation of the song, music, and presentation.
However, the efforts don't address the underlying problem and the fact remains that young people simply don't have the time and incentive to give continuity to the tradition of bhajans. They also lack the dedication and devotion like the older generation who believe that if this continues, and the youth doesn't invest in this integral part of their culture, it might not be long before the tradition simply dies out.
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