Full Moon Concerts at Kirateshwar

The Kirateshwar Mahadev Temple is located within the Pashupatinath area. It is situated between Pashupatinath and Gujeshwori, on the west branch of the River Bagmati. The highlight here is not just the temple, but also the full-moon classical music concerts that happen every full-moon night.

Kirateshwar Sangeet Ashram organizes these concerts. The Kirateshwar Sangeet Ashram is a music institution that teaches classical music. It was established in 1991 AD (2048 BS). The full moon concert is one of the activities of the Ashram. Other activities include teaching vocals and musical instruments, competitions among the students, and so on.

Once a year, the students of the Ashram participate in the under-18 music competition. Vocals, instruments, and rhythm are the three categories among which the participants are judged. The winner, along with cash prize and a one-year scholarship, gets a chance to perform at the full-moon concert. The full moon concert is also a platform for the learners at the institute to showcase their talent.

Kirateshwar Sangeet Ashram was founded for the development of classical music in Nepal. It promotes classical music by different means, among which the full-moon concert plays an important role. In the last 25 years, the full-moon concert has always continued. Even when the county was going a tough time and a curfew was imposed, these classical concerts still took place during the evenings. These concerts are free to everyone. National and international acclaimed classical musicians are invited to perform here, on the full-moon day of every month. The concert usually takes place from 4 pm to 7 pm.

These concerts are mesmerizing. They create soothing music with classical instruments and vocals. One is allowed to witness magic as it happens. Tabla (a membranophone percussion instrument, similar to bongos), flute, harmonium, sitar are some of the instruments that are usually played during these concerts. The vivid environment gives a peaceful vibe. The Kirateshwar full-moon concerts are something you should definitely see in Nepal.