Greetings, everyone. In today's A Journey through Aesthetic Realms, we’ll visit the Nepali Folk Musical Instrument Museum in Tripureshwor, Kathmandu, where there are some of the most ancient and popular instruments that have become part of the various occasions and rituals of the Nepalese society.

With a view of collecting, preserving and glorifying the Nepali folk musical instruments, the Nepali Folk Musical Instrument Museum (NFMIM) was founded in 1995. Let us meet the museum’s founding president, Mr. Ram Prasad Kandel, and Dr. Norma Blackstock, Chief of International Relation Department of NFMIM.
 Ram Prasad Kandel (m):  In Nepal there isn’t any school to teach about the gods and goddesses. I searched for several years and I found my holy master. His name is Swami Akhandananda Saraswoti, and he accepted me.
 He is ready to give me blessing and his knowledge, his wisdom. So I must offer to him some food and some nice clothes as a present. And he said, “I don’t need any these things but you do a small work for my nation.”
That time in my mind, came, “Okay, I’ll establish a Nepali Folk Musical Instrument Museum in Kathmandu,” and he said, “Okay, let’s start it.”
Everyday I do some collection and some do research about the musical instruments. I’m offering to my holy master. This museum is my worship to him.

NFMIM Chief of International Relation Department, Dr. Norma Blackstock from the United Kingdom, speaks of how the museum was established during its initial period.
Dr. Norma Blackstock (f): Ram has a great love of his culture and music from a very early age. As he grew up, he noticed that the culture was disappearing. And he was sad about this.
So first of all, Ram just started the collection. He financed it all with profits from his thanka business. It’s all been from his own money and from other people’s donations.
 After couple of years, he registered the museum with the government in Nepal. And after 5 years, he decided that the collection was so important and unique that he ought to try to open the museum to public access.
He was able to get a fairly small room in the central temple called Badra Kali. And then 2 years ago he acquired these premises and moved the collection here to this beautiful building.