The changing of the Gandharva guards

The Gandharvas, just like other migrant groups, have started to trickle into the Kathmandu valley from the villages of Nepal to make a better living. These minstrels, who have been wandering Nepal’s hills since pre-Prithvi Naryan Shah times, are now a visible sect in the city. Initially, they toured the neighboring villages around the valley, but in the last twenty years or so, some have started living in the Valley itself. Just like most new-comers to Kathmandu, they have had to adapt their working styles to the urban culture in order to survive.