Indra Jaatra Festival Kathmandu, 1931

The World and Traditional Music section of the British Library holds a unique collection of South Asian material recorded by Dutch ethnomusicologist Dr Arnold Adriaan Bake (1899-1963). This collection spans not only many decades but also many formats of audio and visual material including wax cylinders, tefi-bands, open reel tapes and 16mm black and white and colour silent films, providing a complex and detailed document of music and ritual in South Asia from the 1930s to the late 1950s.
This video comprises edited highlights taken from Bake's arrival in Nepal in 1931. It features scenes from Indra Jaatra festival in Kathmandu. Bake created a unique document of the religious music of Nepal through his films of the annual festivals. His films also represented a changing culture and built landscape that would in part vanish in the earthquakes of 1933.
Catalogue links:
C52 Arnold Adriaan Bake Archive: cadensa.bl.uk/u...
C52/FO/14 C1
Film: cadensa.bl.uk/u...
The recordings in this collection were edited together from non-synchronous film and audio recordings. In some cases there is no parallel audio resulting in silent film. All efforts to preserve the feel of these unique records have been made.
The British Library has made these recordings available purely for the purposes of non-commercial research, study and private enjoyment. These recordings should not be altered or used in ways that might be derogatory to the indigenous and local communities who are traditional custodians of the traditional music, lyrics, knowledge, stories, performances and other creative materials embodied in the recordings.

[@Andra.B]

More of this sort of content please! This is so valuable to students

[@guraasfulecha167]

Very glad to see almost 90 year old video. Thanks for uploading! The great people of Kathmandu valley!!

[@Warriorlover69]

So pleased to see a moving picture from 30's considering a fact that Nepal was closed to foreigners and external influence till 1950's. I am very proud to be a Newa: and those are my people and forefathers. who built and sustained a great Nation like Nepal. Subhaye

[@sauryashrestha2046]

Chhi gu contact du la? Instagram, Facebook?

[@Warriorlover69]

@@sauryashrestha2046 Saurya ju, FB Vivek Raj Shrestha kha, aley IG Gentleman9Revival kha

[@laxmilimbu4156]

So proud old is gold 🙏🙏

[@Sabina.chaulagain1234]

Many thanks for preserving and uploading this invaluable documentary.... we are really thrilled to see through our eyes ... the past time... ... feeling like as if we’re in a time machine.... 💐💐💐👍👍👍👍👌👌👌👌🌹🌹🌹👏👏👏2020/4/10

[@Warriorlover69]

Yes indeed brother

[@laxmidevishrestha3533]

old is gold :) wow

[@1ACL]

But where is the sound if this is a music archive?

[@subodhmalekoo9502]

every on ein the video is already dead.

[@binodmanandhar3956]

Subhaye (=Thanks) for sharing. Newar civilization is very developed one but after Prithbi Narayan Shah all rulers of Nepal took policy to discriminate and dominate all indigenous and Madhesi people of Nepal, for over 250 year in history. Therefore they can NOT make any progress. They just able to maintain their tradition with some effort and many have already been lost. Up to today Nepal rulers took discriminatory rule and regulation policies starting from constitution of Nepal. Now Indigenous people and Madhesi people are awakening for their right within their own home land.

[@marg4s83]

Nepal was not made by Newars, it was built right throughout the period of times. From the brave King to its soldiers. Newar cultures are rich, with tradition and social values and norms. Those ancient heritages were built by king from the different generations. Newari people lived in kathmandu city it doesn't mean they owe whole Nepal, if you compare Newari Caste with any other caste in Nepal, you may find that these Newars are not only rich in cultures but also on financial sectors, holding big land and farms. In Kathmandu only these Newars and Indians have big big businesses and retail stores, do they pay extra tax or GST ON goods and services just because they are Newar casts? and answer is no, they don't. Your Newar king went to seek help from Christian missionaries and British Rulers to save them from Gorkhali armies, imagine if King Prithvi Narayan Shah haven't defeated those British, all those ancient temples, statues, heritages sites, old buildings, newari cultures wouldn't have survived at all. Prithvi Narayan Shah keep the tradition of Living goodess Kumari celebration, he didn't destroy any architectures, buildings, temples, shrines and statues that was made by Malla dynasty or the rulers of Kathamndu Valley before Mallas Lichhavi dynasty. Grow up loud ass mother fucker? think where you came from and who you are? don't blame your history and your generations for what we have today. For your knowledge you Newars are primarily Indo-Aryan and Tibeto-Burman ethnicity following Hinduism and Buddhism as religion. Newars are not the aboriginal people of the Kathmandu valley, they settled in Kathmandu valley during the time of migration. If you have will and power you can be where ever you are. Look at the condition at America, they are the English migrates , they still treating black people of America as a shit, do you condition is same in Nepal? look at the aboriginal people of Australia and New Zealand, what white people have done to them, they have totally destroyed their culture and language and by force they want them to speak English. The condition in Nepal is very different compare to the most of this Democratic countries, be proud of who you are and where you came from, writing few sentence in English doesn't make you intelligent, try to learn and understand your history first before you make any comment you loud ass motherfucker.

[@Sabina.chaulagain1234]

marg4s83 @ I want to add a few words to your comment. As far as I remember the principal secretaries to the late kings Mahendra and Birendra were Sardar Hansaman Singh and Narayan Pd. Shrestha respectively ( both Newars) who were more powerful than the then prime ministers. Why did they never speak a single word that Newars were being treated as second class citizens or discriminated? 2076/12/28

[@entertainmentisthegoal4000]

@@Sabina.chaulagain1234 marg4s83 nepal was not built by newars, but Kathmandu is. Kathmandu was a beautiful city rich in culture, trade, agriculture, temples,monuments. They were all built by newars u fucking idiot. Kathmandu was a beautiful city until your gorkhali rulers hadn't ruled here. And even now baun chetris are the ruling majority, and you can see what happened to Kathmandu after chhetri Baun started ruling here! Your ancestors used to dream about going to a city like Kathmandu..those village peasants had never seen buildings like in Kathmandu....so stop talking shit and have some respect u bitch

[@Sabina.chaulagain1234]

Easy Tutorials @ I wonder - who said to you that the beautiful temples were not built by Newars??? ( not only Newsrs but Lichhavis and Kirats and many more- I regret for not having sufficient knowledge in Nepalese history)... history has not recorded any events when the land inside KTM valley were forcibly taken away by the Shah Rulers... If other castes have settled here it was because the Newars sold it.... For your kind information I want to quote one statement from the book “ shree 3 haruko tathya britanta” . It says that Bir Shumsher bought around 700 Ropani of land at a rate of Rs 60/ropani. Apart from that Newars account for less than 4 % of total population. The Shah rulers didn’t destroy any temples or monuments created before them. Writing abusive words instead of healthy criticism or debate suggests that you’re mentally and morally sick. Such writing doesn’t make you great. GET WELL SOON...😜😜😜😜😜😜2077/1/8

[@entertainmentisthegoal4000]

@@Sabina.chaulagain1234 For your information aridev is the last licchavi king and ari malla is the first malla king...both are same person .so malla dynasty is the continuation of licchavi dynasty....and Shah did not destroy any temples or monuments. But new progress was minimum to absent...everything great in Kathmandu was built during malla rule....then the arts and skills went downhill....the rich tradition and trade of Kathmandu all suffered...then started hundreds years of political instability and oppression .....and then there was Rana rule....during which not just Kathmandu but whole nepal suffered and there was no progress.....all thanks to the pahade kings.....