By Aashish Mishra

Kathmandu, Feb. 19: Subham Sharma wanted a traditional wedding. Having lived in Australia and then the United States for the past eight years, he felt over-exposed to the foreign way of life and yearned to return to his roots. That is why he asked his parents for a quintessential Nepali wedding and specifically requested for Panche baja (five traditional instruments) to be played at the ceremony.
“The modern wedding bands just did not sound natural and native to me,” he said. “I had already experienced that kind of music in my stay abroad,” he added.
Sharma described that he did not want to emulate foreign practices on Nepali soil and wanted his special day to be as “Nepali” as possible. “The melody of the Panche baja just stimulates something in your veins that no other instruments can,” he said with visible excitement in his gestures.
Here, Sharma is representative of a larger population that is taking a renewed interest in folk music and musical instruments. Panche baja is enjoying a revival, of sorts, with demands soaring, according to Bhim Raskoti, leader of the Ghorle Magar Panche Baja Group.
“People want us to play at important functions like weddings, Bratabandha (ceremony to wear holy thread) and Gunyo Choli or even birthdays,” Raskoti said, adding, “We are also invited to play at various events and programmes, exhibitions or in front of government officials.”
Raskoti’s group, which comprises of 11 people, is based in Gulmi and is invited to play at events and ceremonies all across the district. “The Panche baja trend,” as he called it, is steadily making a comeback after being on the decline for nearly two decades, stated Raskoti.
However, this renaissance has not come cheap. With only a few professional Panche baja groups in the market catering to an ever-increasing demand, the groups hold much leverage when it comes to negotiating prices. The Ghorle Magar group charges anywhere between Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 45,000 depending on the type of function and the distance.
But Raskoti acknowledged that the actual cost of hiring a Panche baja band may be higher. “In addition to our fees, it is common for the hosts to take care of our food and drinks,” he said, adding, “And sometimes, depending on the situation, the hosts may also need to bear our travel and accommodation expenses.”
However, Raskoti was keen to emphasise that the group never explicitly demanded for anything other than their wage. “It is just courteous practice,” he said, “You cannot expect the band to play music on an empty stomach.” He also stressed that the alcohol helps prevent the group from getting tired and keeps the mouth from drying out.
In the case of Sharma, he hired a local band from Kathmandu at a cost of Rs 55,000. He provided them a meal, including the main dish and desert, a few rounds of drinks and while leaving, gave every member of the band a gift bag consisting of some sweets and betelnuts. “All in all, I think the total cost came up to Rs. 100,000, but it was worth it,” he said.
Seeing such growth in Panche baja’s popularity both amuses and amazes Raskoti.
He recalled a time, not long ago, when he and his group members were shunned for playing the instruments. Because of the instruments’ association with supposedly low-caste people,

the Ghorle Magar group were considered untouchables simply for playing them. “People discouraged us and many Panche baja players simply left their profession and went for foreign employment,” he explained.
Furthermore, the rise in popularity of modern wedding bands also affected their career. “People considered Panche baja old-fashioned and opted for modern bands to show their status,” Raskoti said.
Having gone through these difficult times, Raskoti is now optimistic about the future. “Panche baja is gaining wider acceptance and people are also becoming more conscious about preserving their culture which truly excites me,” he joyfully exclaimed.
This removal of stigma and a growing market is encouraging more and more groups to adopt the instruments. Panche baja, once considered exclusively for males of the Damai caste group, is now being played even by Brahmin women. And one of the pioneers in this field is the 8/5 Agricultural Cooperatives of Balaju, Kathmandu.
The Cooperatives, founded in 2009, formed an all-women Panche baja band in 2012 as a means to empower its members and also preserve our culture in the process. Out of the cooperatives’ 130 members, around 25 to 30 women play the instruments, according to former chairperson Bimala Ghimire.
The cooperative faced similar caste-related stigma that the Ghorle Magar group faced, but they also had to endure extra gender-related pressures. “We were Brahmin women seeking to enter a field reserved for Dalit men,” recounted Ghimire, “So, there were a lot of restrictions from our families that we had to overcome.”
But the women never gave up and eventually managed to convince their families and the larger society and have also managed to transform the Panche baja profession in the process. “We don’t even touch alcohol, so have changed the belief that people need alcohol to play the instruments,” Ghimire said. “We have also shown that women can play the instruments just as well and have opened a new field for other women to enter and amuse,” she added.
And amused they have. The cooperatives’ group has played many high-profile gigs, including government functions. They even played at Maitighar Mandala to welcome the Chinese President Xi Jinping during his state visit to Nepal in October last year.
Both Raskoti and Ghimire presented the opportunity for fame and fortune the Panche baja market holds. The players are in a situation to demand good amounts for their performances and establish this field as a respectable occupation for themselves and others.
Even outside the Kathmandu Valley, women have formed groups to play Panche baja. Panche baja is a set of five Nepali folk instruments – Sahanai, Dholaki, Jhyali, Damaha, Tyamko and Karnal/Narsingha.