The Gandharvas of the middle and far reaches lived a nomadic life. Their main two occupations were making pottery and playing musical instruments, blending their voices with rhythm. Their instruments included the sarangi, tabla, beenai, khakar, etc. The Badi or Gandharva community is known as a community that goes from village to village singing songs and earning a living by collecting food and water.

After all, life is not a story. Sometimes the story of separation, sometimes of longing, sometimes of pain, sometimes of lack was constantly emerging on the path of their lives. In a way, the Gandharvas are considered to have started using music professionally, but there seems to be no research on this. The Badis of the Far West have been living an independent life since the time of the twenty-two-two kings. 

Singer Dikra Badi is a famous character of the Badi community. She used to sing songs in a melodious voice when she was young and enchanted many people in the villages of Bajura. Since 2052, that voice started resounding on the radio. The Thadi Bhaka sung in the Far West and she began to seem synonymous with each other. At that time, there must have been few people in the Far West who did not listen to the Thadi Bhaka she sang. 

As time passed, Dikra Devi suddenly disappeared from the singing field. Most of her songs also disappeared. As technology took a new turn, no one was able to convert her albums into CDs. Even after listening to her voice, no one cared much about her because of her caste. She was busy enjoying the moments of her life.

12 albums have been released in her voice. There is no count of how many other songs she sang. She no longer has those cassettes. Recently, Padam Budha, the owner of Sangeet Saugat Pvt. Ltd., has been searching for her songs and uploading them on YouTube. Most of Dikra's songs contain a philosophy of life and the pain of the voiceless. For example,

'Banj Buraska Daura Balla Guruguru'

Saiki Nadi Mera Haat Challi Surusuru'

Born in Bajura, Dikra used to sing Deuda since she was a child. It was customary to carry a tape recorder in her hand. Those who carried a tape recorder were mostly Lahures who had returned from serving as porters in India. The tape recorder was called Terpikad in the countryside.

Many people liked Dikra's voice and used to record it on Terpicard. According to singer and musician Narendra Raj Regmi, Dikra was once known as a skilled dancer by the people of Bajura. After she stepped into the singing field, the dance art faded away. 

At the age of 14, Sanima from Kitha Badi of Bajhang lured her to Bajhang. Dikra was married to the same Kitha Badi. She does not know her date of birth. She is two years younger than her husband. Her husband was from 2023. Kitha was an only child who lost her father at the age of 10.

Kitha's father came to Bajhang from Doti. Men and women of the Badi community, who did not have any land of their own, used to make clay sulpa hookahs and pick wheat in the houses of the so-called upper castes by giving sulpa and hookah. Picking wheat means taking the grain reserved for them. When it became very difficult to earn a living by collecting paddy, playing the sarangi, and singing, they reached Dhangadhi in 2049 in search of open land.

They stayed there for a month and a half but were unable to find a place to build a hut. ‘Let’s not talk about the struggle and pain of that time, tears still come to mind when I remember it,’ says Dikra, ‘I even spent 19 days in jail on charges of deforestation.’ After enduring the ordeal, they built a hut on nine acres of land in a place called Bank in Kanchanpur.

In 2052, singers Narendra Raj Regmi and Gorakh Thapa found out that the Dikra couple had come to Dhangadhi and searched for them. Narendra took Dikra and Kitthe to Mircha Studio in Palia, India. There, Kitthe played the sarangi, played the madal, and Dikra sang songs. The first album (Basibiyanlo) was released. Dikra gradually became known in the market.

Then, singer Antaram Bista called them. Bista prepared the songs for the Baiju album and arranged for the Dikra couple to stay, eat, and travel in Kathmandu to sing. He sent them back with a salary of 30,000 rupees. After that, many people, including Narayan Bista, invested and released the album in Dikra's voice. 

There is a saying in the Far West - The sharper the needle sharpens, the sharper the thorn is born. Dikra's voice also sharpened like a thorn while being born. Both his father and grandfather were skilled tabla players. They also played the madal and harmonium. There was dancing and singing at home. 

Dikra's voice breaks when he remembers the remuneration he received for singing in the past. While other singers who sang with him would get paid according to the prevailing rate, some gave Dikra three hundred, two hundred, and some only a hundred rupees. Most of them only assured him that they would arrange it the next day. Dikra had several moments of rebellion in his mind, but it vanished in an instant like a flash of lightning. Finally, she cursed her own actions and composed the song- 

‘Khutta Khayo Chappalle Haat Khayo Balale