Sauraha, in southern Nepal, is best known for its elephant rides and jungle safaris. But the region’s music, which emanates from nature herself, should give you one more reason to visit Sauraha soon.
In Sauraha, music comes from different sources, some expected, some not so much.
Imagine sitting on a boat on the Rapti, the main river flowing through the vast expanse of forest in Sauraha. The river has its own music.
During winter, its music is that of contemplation and calm. Silence is the best tune on the river’s playlist.
However, during the monsoon, the river changes its tunes. After heavy rain, you can hear the water gush through the sandy banks, splashing against the rocks.
The boatmen in Sauraha may not be master singers, but they have their own stories to tell. Their stories would make for beautiful lyrics for any song. The stories are of their love of the water, their attachment with the river, and the the times the river made them sad.
As you ride the boat along the Rapti, you hear birds of different hue, sing to nature’s tunes. You may not understand their language but it is readily apparent that they sing of the happiness of being in their abode and the freedom to move around the lush green.
When dusk comes, you hear nocturnal creatures take up from where the birds left. They sing a chorus like no other.
The Tharus, the sons and daughters of the soil, also sing and dance to songs of nature, love and life. You feel that they are one with nature, and their songs are written by none other than mother nature, herself.
***
More on the region
For elephants in Nepal’s Sauraha, humane treatment is a cry in the wilderness
