The slow fading of the nayakhin baja

The treble of the nayakhin, part of the nau baja ensemble, echoes the spirit of Newa celebration. But over the years, the instrument has lost much of its essence.

The sound of the nayakhin baja is present in almost every Newa celebration or festival in the Valley—in Gunla, in the Bunga Dyah Jatra, Indra Jatra, Paha Chare, sometimes, even during the morning bhajan sessions in the old core areas of the Valley. It’s a familiar sound, one that many in Kathmandu have grown up listening to, yet not many notice its distinctiveness.