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Local Art’s & Handi Craft Training Program |
Not only does Dhulikhel Mountain Resort support the villagers in the cultural dance program, but we also support various projects based around Handi Crafts and art. We introduced a training program to teach villagers, cheifly women to make handi crafts which they could sell.
In the Resort and the village nearby, you will see on display for sale items that have all been made by local people in the surrounding areas. By buying these handicarts of art work you will be helping local people.
Corn Husk Dolls – These dolls are made by local village women in Kawa. Made from recycled and local products, these make great gifts to take home for your friends and family.
Hand Loom Products – Pashmina and Dhakas are all handmade, it is a great skill learned by village women who take great pride in their work and intricate patterns of the clothe they are weaving.
Hand Made Paper – Beautiful handmade papers is available all over Nepal and is one of the top export items that help to create a finically stable industry for local village people.
Thangka Painting – This exquisite form of Buddhist art takes the artist around 9 years to learn. One painting can take as long as 3 months to finish.
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One of the highlights of your stay at the Resort is our “Golden Evening of Dance”. Performed in our courtyard garden under the stars, our dance program showcases the many rituals and dances of Nepal’s diverse ethnic groups. It’s a vibrant, colorful and culturally rich evening that provides great entertainment to our guests and also gives them a window into the traditional dancing and music of Nepal.
Our program is three fold, firstly to display our rich and vibrant local style of folk songs, traditional dancing and music. Secondly to provide tourism training and a source of income to local people and lastly to help preserve our cultural heritage for future generations.
The program itself is an intuitive of Dhulikhel Mountain Resort and an example of one of our many projects to support the local community. We began by taking villagers and giving them training from a professional choreographer from Kathmandu over a six month period. The youths learned all forms of dance from the different ethnic groups of Nepal, how to act and perform for our guests as well as the traditional aspects of costume and adornments. The Resort invested around 8000 Euros to provide training, costumes and props to the group.
Upon the completion of the training, we then went ahead and registered the “Troupe” as a separate business belonging to the youths, as well as donating all the props, costumes and jewelry required for the performances. The Troupe is now an official registered and independent business, “The Gauri Shanker Cultural Club” which is not only hired to perform by us, but also by many other businesses and organizations around Dhulikhel.
By undertaking this project we have taken poor and underprivillaged villagers and helped them to build a future for themselves, we hope that they will pass on their experience to future generations and continue on the tradition that we have began, insuring a stable financial future that will benefit the entire community.
We take great pride in presenting this program to you and truly hope that you enjoy our Golden Evening of Dance.
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 Welcome Dance (Sangini)
This dance is performed by groups of fasting women clad in red saris and gold jewelry during the 3 day long Teej Festival celebrated in the month of August. The women spend the entire day singing, dancing and praying to the lord Shiva for prosperity and longevity of their husbands.
Pancha Buddha (Five Buddhas)
This dance displays the characters and personalities of the five different Buddha’s (Pancha Buddha). The dance is based on Vajrayana teachings and features these five Buddha’s - Vairochana (The Brilliant one) Akshobhya (The unshakable), Ratnashambava (The matrix of the jewel),Amitav (the infinite light) and Amoga Siddhi (The infallible realization).
Jhyaure Dance
This dance reflects the love between man and woman and creates an atmosphere for expressing one's love. This very popular dance is performed by all ethnic groups of Nepal and is a rare showing of intimacy not normally seen amongst this modest community. The dance is performed around the fertile time of rice planting.
 Tappa
This is a popular folk dance from Dang district in the far western part of Nepal. This dance is very interesting as the dancing partners; a young boy and girl express their love and affection through their rhythmic dancing.
Tamang Selo
Originating in the Tamang community, this dance is played by young village boys and girls. During the dance they use the rhythmic beat of the Damphu drum to move and sway and attract each other. Though mostly good hearted flirting and teasing, it’s almost a courtship dance, where boys and girls seek out prospective future partners.
Dhimey Dance
This dance is very popular in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur among the Newari Community. It is danced to the heavy beating of a drum called "Dhime" and is usually performed during the festival of Dashain in October to celebrate the harvesting of the rice. After the rice harvest, the women make rice wine and take great delight in getting the men drunk and teasingly seduce them with this dance. The male dancers dress in the traditional Daura-Surwal and Bhadgaunli cap, while the women wear Haku patasi (black Sari) and Cholo (special blouse).
 Yak & Yeti Dance
The fabled Yeti is a mystical creature said to live in the Himalaya, while the Yak is a true life sturdy beast used to port goods and as a source of milk and meat for the mountain people. This comical dance displays the congenial activities that the Yak and Yeti get up to when nobody is watching.
Tyamkuli Dance
Performed during marriage ceremonies among Gurung and Magar people, the dance gets its name from the Tyamkuli drum used to make the beat for this colorful dance that celebrates the union of two people.
Kauda Dance
This group dance is very popular among the Gurung and Magar communities, especially in the Pokhara region. In this dance you will notice the remarkable rhythm and skill of the dancers as they move in harmony with the two simultaneous beats of the drum music.
 Bhojpuri Dance
This dance is famous all over the Southeastern parts of Nepal and performed during major festivals. It is noted for the gracefulness of body movements and facial expressions of the performers. As Southern Nepal’s climate is warmer than that of the North, the dancers wear lighter clothing which emphasis their grace and agility. In this dance, you will notice the difference in the style of the dancers movement and in the instruments used.
Sebru Dance
This dance is performed by the Sherpa people who live in the cold, mountainous regions around Everest. In the Sherpa language, “Se” means feet and “Bru” means rhythmic movements. This dance is a celebration of the way of life of the Sherpa men and women and a reflection of each sex’s traditional role within the Sherpa society, you will notice the movements reflecting everyday activities such as making tea and house hold chores.
 Jhankri or the Shaman Dance
In the villages of rural Nepal the people have great faith in the healing powers of Shamans (Witch Doctors) and visit them for all their ailments. It is believed that Evil spirits can be driven away and sick people can be cured by the Jhankris (Shamans). This dance is an enactment of a Shamans ritual like rhythmic movements and drum beats used to send his patients into a trance and relieve them of their illness.
Dhimal
The Dhimal people are an ethnic group living in the Teri. The dance mimics the farming and fishing life of these people that inhabit the hotter lands bordering the Indian Plains.
Manjushree
Once upon a time, Kathmandu valley was supposed to have been a big lake. The Bhodisittva, Manjushree, open up the southern side of the valley with his sword of power, so that the water could flow out & the land become fertile and habitable. This dance, traditionally performed by Buddhist Priests, depicts the legend of Manjushree and his deed.
 Jhumra
The Jhumra is based on the ancient Sanskrit text, “Geet Govinda”. Hailing from the Teri, the Jhumra is a group dance performed by girls only. The girls wear flowing red gowns and shake their bodies to the rhythm of Tharu music. It’s quite an enchanting dance to watch.
Gahiri Khet
This solo dance customarily performed by a teenage girl, expresses youthful curiosity and the joy of life.
Mayur Dance or Peacock Dance
The Peacock is the spiritual bird of Nepal and is closely associated with royalty. The dance imitates the natural behavior of a peacock during a storm, the birds get excited with the gathering of storm clouds and when the thunder roars out they quiver and dance. Performers in colorful costumes mimic this behavior of the peacock.
Lakhe Dance
The Lakhe is a demi God and at one time the Newar people of Kathmandu called upon him to banish a demon that was believed to have killed many children. The dance is traditionally performed as a parade through the streets during Indra Jatra to honor the Lakhe who banished the Demon. The performers wear fearsome masks and cavort along the streets in this colorful spectacle.
Tana Kisi
During the "Indra Jatra” Festival, people line the streets of cities like Bhaktapur and Patan to watch this mad dancing parade as “Tana Kisi” the idol in the form of an elephant god made from straw is carried around the streets in a mad twisting route, crashing through the crowd chasing people and causing general mayhem all in good fun.
 Dohari
This is perhaps one of the most fun and entertaining forms of song, often providing much hilarity among participants and the audience. Almost like a song competition between unmarried men and women performed during festivals. It begins when a female singer singles out a male member of the audience and asks him a lyrical question, to which he has a short time to reply. The song twos and for between the two with much jest and goading. It’s an immensely fun performance to watch and perhaps participate in. |
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