Author Description

History is not just about books. It reads us, reminds us, and makes us. It is still clear in Nepal, where Nepali society has been formed by combining countless languages, cultures, and lifestyles. Our indigenous communities have carried their traditions for thousands of years, but that knowledge and those song-story rituals have largely disappeared. Some are lost, some are mixed with other religions and cultures, and some are left in pieces. It is this silence that this book seeks to speak of in "Forgotten Songs and Lost Identities: An Investigation of Indigenous Experiences". It's not just a myth or a passionate reminder. The piece represents decades of research that has incorporated oral interviews, field visits, old relics, and voices of the elderly in the community. This demonstrates that to know our origins, we need not only read the state-written history, but we also need to hear the voices that are buried in this earth. Nepal's history is often written from the point of view of power. He who had the kingdom in his hand used a pen. In the process, indigenous traditions were interpreted as backwards traditions, or mixed with powerful religions, or completely erased. The gods of Kirat were sometimes associated with Shiva and sometimes with Buddhist or Christian traditions. The names and meanings of the local holy places changed. It undermined not just religion but the entire identity. And when identity is lost, self-esteem, memory, and the power to make the future are also lost. The book is in three parts. The first part deals with the relationship between the Bon religion and the Kirat tradition. This shows that Nepal's civilization is not only the result of Aryan culture; its roots are even older. Words and language are the evidence of that. The second part is about transformation and resistance. From the Lichchavi period to Gorkha unification, the Kirat identity was suppressed but not completely lost. Oral narratives, old relics