GROUP PHOTO: The artistes who were honoured at the programme.
By Usha Wagle Gautam
The Nepalese expats in Qatar are gearing up for their second biggest festival of the year: Tihar.
Last weekend, Nepalese cultural company Basanta Films organised a Tihar programme at Quality Hypermarket. The programme was chaired by the company’s Chairman Ishwor Kafle and attended by a large number of people.
The five-day-long festival of Tihar is observed for the prosperity and longevity of siblings. Coming after Dashain, the festival is also known as Dipawali, Bhai Tika and Laxmi Puja and involves siblings buying gifts for each other, preparation of special meals at home, kite flying, home decoration, social visits to friends, and ends with an exchange of a mark on the forehead, known as tika in Nepal. In short, the festival is an opportunity for sisters to wish long lives to their brothers.
In the programme on Friday, Japan-based folk singer Surya Khadka was the first to perform. He sang four songs about Dashain and Tihar. His songs talked about Nepalese migrant workers who work overseas and don’t get a chance to celebrate the festivals with their families.
USA-based Shanti Bhandari performed five songs from her own studio album.
Folk singer Raju Dhakal performed six songs. Each of his songs gathered positive feedbacks, and audience called for once more each time. Dhakal is one of the most popular singers in Nepal and has already recorded more than 200 songs for over 20 albums.
Pop singer Krishna Kafle performed four songs about the April 25 earthquake in Nepal and the Tihar festival.
Singer Shanti Sunuwar performed five of her hits.
Dancers Bikram Budathoki and Sapana Thapa performed a dance on a movie song. Dancer Dku Sherpa performed a Sherpa cultural dance.
Singer Rama Aryal performed thrice, singing two songs from her Rashi and Destination albums, and a patriotic song.
Comedian Suresh BC performed a stand-up about the popular Nepalese comedian duo Hari Bansha Acharya and Madan Krishna Shrestha. Singers Rym K Lama, Reet Kumar Shrestha, Aruna KC, Sarad Pandey and Birenda Shrestha together performed a Tihar song.
The programme was hosted by Mohan Shah and Sharad Pandey.
