Nepal is home to a group of music makers called the Gandharvas. The word Gandharva appears in the ancient text the Mahabharata, as singers and entertainers. The work of the Gandharva is to make songs, to sing stories of the lives of the people, to entertain, provide social commentary, give news, and heal the people. They were inspired by heavenly female creatures known as Apsaras.
The Gandharvas historically are known as the link between the heavens and earth, bringing messages from the heavens to the people on earth.
Up until very recently, the Gandharvas earned their living, traveling from village to village around the difficult mountainous terrain, to bring news to the people in the ages before radio, television, and the internet. They are commonly known as “Walking Newspapers.”
