IANS
Kathmandu
Patan Durbar Square, one of Nepal’s major tourist destinations, was severely damaged by the April earthquakes that killed some 9,000 people. Last week, the temple compound became the site for staging the ancient Nepali dance-drama
“Kartik Nach”.
Historical monuments and artistic structures at the Patan Darbar Square collapsed. Seven months later, the area is still strewn with debris, reports Xinhua news agency.
Despite the tragedy, thousands of Nepali people, young and old, trooped to the site to watch the open-air presentation of the historical dance-drama to the accompaniment of folk music.
Those in the audience cheered the performance in the cool November air.
“We had expected fewer people due to the quake but to our surprise, enthusiasts of Nepali art came up in large numbers. We are glad people have started to forget the tragedy and came to watch our cultural show,” said Kiran Chitrakar, an artist and chairman of Kartik Nach Preservation
Committee (KNPC).
This year Kartik Nach has been staged for 12 days.
Though Kartik Nach and temples in Patan Durbar Square has no solid connecting-stories, they are synonymous to each other since the 17th century.
This spectacular dance is named as “Kartik Nach” since this is performed during the Nepali month of Kartik that falls in October or November.
According to the organisers, the performance is based on the stories from Hindu mythology.
Wednesday was the final day of the staging of “Vastra Haran Lila,” with the
participation of 11 artists.
The KNPC has around 80 members, including 50 artists. They have been staging the folk dance-drama through funds collected from the municipality and some organisations.