On the occasion of the 35th death anniversary of Swar Samrat Narayan Gopal Guruvacharya, various songs sung by Narayan Gopal resonated at the Narayani Kala Mandir in Narayangadh on Friday evening.

There was an old harmonium of the Kala Mandir, on which Narayan Gopal's fingers had once run. The 'Narayan Gopal Memorial Evening' was inaugurated by removing the red chyadar covering that harmonium.

Program director Suraksha Shrestha, referring to that harmonium, said, 'This harmonium is special for us. In 2028 BS, Narayan Gopal, Dawa Gyalmo, Daisy Bareili, Durga Kharel and others had come to Narayangadh to perform. When Narayan Gopal started singing, he moved his own harmonium and sang songs to the rhythm of this harmonium of the Kala Mandir.'

That is why the Kala Mandir has preserved this harmonium very well.

There was a magnificent photo of Narayan Gopal in the front of the auditorium. The chyadar covering that old harmonium, which was kept with the photo, which was covered with a garland of hundred leaves, was unveiled by two chief guests, Ward Chairman of Bharatpur Metropolitan City-1 Keshav Maharjan and Ward Chairman of 2 Manoj Ranabhat.

After the harmonium was opened, the band played the guitar, tabla, and keyboard. Then Bishwa Pradhan and Prabin Kumar Shrestha began the ‘Narayan Gopal Smriti Sanjh’ by ​​singing ‘Jag Lamk Chamk Hey Naujawan Ho’.

Anamika Malla is the winner of the second season of ‘Synergy Rising Star’, which was run by Chitwan’s first FM radio station, Synergy FM, in the 60s.  Along with Bishwa Pradhan, Anamika revived the melodious voice that began two decades ago in the same auditorium of the Kala Mandir by singing ‘Maya Garneko Chokho Maya Pini Dahedi’. Anamika was one of the two main singers of ‘Narayan Gopal Smriti Sanjh 2082’. After Anamika, Niranjan Pradhan, Bishwa Pradhan, and Prabin Kumar Shrestha sang seven songs, another main singer, Suraj Kumar Thapa, took to the stage. 

Suraj started playing the harmonium with the band, ‘My heart is like yours, my love is like yours too…’ Thus, the Kala Mandir remembered the Swar Samrat by reciting the timeless songs sung, composed and composed by Narayan Gopal and sung by Narayan Gopal’s contemporaries. Former chairman of the Kala Mandir, Amar Pradhan, said that the ‘Narayan Gopal Memorial Evening’ started in 2058 BS.

The current chairman of the Kala Mandir, Rohit Shrestha, said that he has been organizing the memorial evening almost regularly for more than two decades. He said that the Kala Mandir has been established to revive songs and music and to remember Narayan Gopal by involving local talents as well as established singers. Narayan Gopal’s direct and indirect role is also associated with this form of the Kala Mandir.

Narayani Kala Mandir is known for its grand auditorium. Since the Kala Mandir, which was established in 2019 BS, had to hold its programs in a cinema hall. That program in 2028 BS was also held in a cinema hall. Former chairman of Kala Mandir, Prasad Shrestha, recalls, “At that time, the cinema hall was booked for two days for Narayan Gopal’s program.”

The first day was packed with people. There was a similarly enthusiastic attendance for the second day as well. But Shrestha has not yet forgotten the unpleasant incident when the owner of the cinema hall refused to give him the hall when the program was about to begin. After this incident, the officials of Kala Mandir decided to build their own hall.