The Mahashivaratri World Music Festival is set to take place in Pokhara on February 17 and 18, 2023, under the organization of Namaste Band. The event will be held at Barahighat in Lakeside and will be the 16th installment of the festival, which was first created by Ishwar Gurung, the band's president, 34 years ago. The festival will feature performances by artists from America, Japan, and India, in addition to local Nepali artists.
In the past, the festival has featured performances by many notable Nepali artists, including Ishwar Gurung, Mercury Band, Peace zone Band, Apoorva, Deep Shrestha, Raju Periyar, Ravin and Regulation, Mukti and Revival, Stream and Engenres, Raju Lama of Mongolian Heart, Rajeshpayal Rai, Yama Baral, and others. Gurung, who has been performing at the festival every year, emphasized that the event is not organized for commercial purposes, but rather as a social and religious celebration. The festival has previously been held in Japan on four occasions during Shivratri, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sujan Chapagai, the singer and composer of songs such as "Dekher Timilai" and "Lajaeer," will be honored at the festival, and preparations for the event, which will cost 38 lakhs, have already been completed, according to co-convenor Narayan Bhandari. Namaste Band has played an important role in promoting Nepali music, and the Mahashivratri World Music Festival serves as a gathering place for artists, said program coordinator Shivji Bhattarai. Ishwar Gurung is perhaps best known for his song "Jaaun Hai Pokhara."
The Mahashivaratri World Music Festival is a highly anticipated event that brings together musicians and artists from all over the world to celebrate the festival of Mahashivaratri and promote Nepali music.
Pokhara Festival