The sitar and the tabla are the mainstays of the spiritually uplifting dhun, with some other instruments like the tungna and flute taking a more subdued role. Whatever name it goes by, this popular national tune is very melodious and extremely soothing, and the listener becomes one with the natural order of things in the universe. But, my deep research led to another discovery it seems that mangal dhun is also known as “malashree dhun”.
I was unable to answer my American friend’s question with any authority, unfortunately. This great tune has the greatest presence in the Kathmandu Valley, although factual details of the mangal dhun’s origin are difficult to determine. The mangal dhun has great significance in the lives of Nepalis because you’ll hear the same tune wherever you go in the country, and especially during the great festivals of Dashain and Tihar in October/November. The mangal dhun also throws out its familiar notes at critical points during the wedding ceremony, such as during the swayambhar (exchange of garlands and ring ceremony), when the couple walk around the sacred fire, and when the tearful bride is bid an equally tearful adieu by family and friends. When the janti reaches the bride’s home, this same tune is played again, this time with more fervor, which helps heighten the excitement of the bride’s family, relatives, friends, and other guests. You’ll also hear it at the beginning of many rituals, and when a janti (groom’s procession at a wedding) begins, it is preceded by a band bajaa (brass band) playing a mangal dhun. It is the tune that announces that Dashain, the biggest Hindu festival of Nepal, has arrived. The name means “auspicious tune”, and is played during festive and celebratory occasions. Once, I received a curious query from someone I knew in America he wanted to know about the origin of the mangal dhun, one of the most familiar tunes in Nepal.
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