Wednesday, February 1, 2006

N.P. UPADHYAYA

Nepal's melody queen, Tara Devi, popularly known, as Tara Didi is no more.

She was a favorite of all the Nepalese hearts so far as Nepali songs were concerned.

Let me admit that I first heard of her voice when I was in class eight in a Biratnagar school.

Once it so happened that some prominent Nepali singers were invited to Biratnagar. I don't recollect as to which institution had sponsored their trip to my hometown. But they were there and sand a couple of nationalist songs by famous singer of that time, Puspa Nepali. One song that touched every Nepali heart in Biratnagar was Tara devi's number, "HIMAL KO KAKH MA CHA SANO MERO GAUN, PARVAT KI CHORI HUN MA PARVATI HO MERO NAU" which literally meant that I come from a small village situated in the lap of the mountains and that I am the daughter of the mountain and hence my name is Parvati.

Well, the name Parvati in Hindu religion possesses a very revered place. Parvati is the wife of Lord Shiva and as the mythology goes, Parvati-the daughter of the King of the Himalayas, worshipped for decades and decades to get Lord Shiva as her husband. Finally, pleased by her penance, Lord Shiva have had to marry her. If this were true then we the Nepalese, more so the believers of Hindu religion have reasons to take pride over the fact that both the King of the Himalayas and his daughter were sons of this soil and Lord Shiva, as per tradition, is our daughter-in-law.

So the song sung by Tara devi provided jolts to the Nepalese listening to her sentimental songs. Each and every Nepalese listening to her ear-pleasing voice was provoked to think of nationalism which some were the other had remained in a dormant position for a variety of unknown reasons. It could have been so because of the heavy Indian cultural domination that was then a fact in Biratnagar.

Later when I came to advance my studies in Kathmandu, Tara devi's songs have already become a regular feature in Radio Nepal-the government owned and controlled broadcasting station.

Still later, I was told that late Queen Aishwarya managed her songs to be sung by Tara devi only. Indeed why the late Queen insisted on Tara didi's voice for her Lyrics is understandable.

Ukali Orali Haruma, Deurali ani Bhanjyang Haruma, sundar-------Jahan Jahan Janchau Timi-----is one of her best song composed by the late Queen.

The melody queen passed last week leaving the entire nation into tears.

Rest in peace O yeh the departed great soul.