South China Morning Post
NEPAL, February 1, 2004: Minstrels born into the Kingdom of Nepal have been considered untouchables and relegated to the sub caste of Gandharbas. Even though the caste system was legally abolished in 1963, the Nepalese have been reluctant to accept the gandharbas into the mainstream. Playing an instrument called the sarangi, a four-stringed instrument played with a bow, the minstrels unified the Kingdom in the 18th century for King Prithvi Narayan Shah who recruited the singers to spread his nationalistic views. The minstrels received no credit for this service nor were they acknowledged for their skills, claims this article. It has only been since 1995 that Dip Bahadur Gandhari, with the help of an American Peace Corp volunteer, founded an association called the Gandharba Culture and Art Organization to help the minstrels. Dip Gandhari, a 37-year old musician himself, has been fighting to raise the Gandharba’s status for two decades. So far the organization has 125 members. Visitors from Hong Kong, Europe and the U.S. are now sponsoring the musicians. Any money from performances is used to pay a salary to the members and the rest is sent to support schools for orphaned children. Dip says, “We want to help others who have no means. We know how hard it is to have nothing.” The Gandharbas are suffering because of the people’s war launched by Maoist rebels who want to overthrow the government. Tourists are staying home. The article says, “But thanks to the popularity they are beginning to enjoy abroad, the Gandharbas are gaining recognition in their homeland. Recently, a television station broadcast a performance for the first time.”