Rosha Phuyel’s fingers move across the harmonium deftly as she sings ‘Jai Ambe’. This classic Durga bhajan has been passed down through generations and performed by numerous singers over the years. But Rosha’s rendition, out on social media about three weeks ago, has reproduced it anew and has introduced it to a new crop of listeners. It has now become a talking point online music forums and irl. Thousands are creating TikToks and Reels featuring her performance. At public events, admirers praise her voice and her devotion to bhajan.

Videos of her covers receive millions of views on social media, with viewers praising her mellifluous voice and style. “Thank you for this beautiful and melodious bhajan,” one fan recently commented on her video. “Keep it up!” “So soothing!” another one wrote. “Never heard this soothing voice ever. God bless you, sister!” Her follower count has grown steadily—she has 120,000 followers on Facebook. Rosha, who is 19, is still very early in her professional career and her star is on the rise.

All of this, however, did not happen overnight. Rosha was born in Mechinagar, Jhapa to a family belonging to the Sri Vaishnava tradition; Sri Vaishnavism is a sect under the Hindu religion. Bhajans—devotional hymns—were a constant presence at home while she was growing up. Her elder brother, Roshan, was also passionate about music and attended music classes. Whenever he returned home and practised, Rosha would sit beside him and sing along.

“The music practice sessions with my brother sparked my interest in singing, especially bhajans,” Rosha told Kantipur recently. “I began singing when I was just four.”

Her voice impressed not only her family but also relatives, neighbours, schoolteachers and friends. Then, when she participated in the singing reality TV show ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Little Champs Nepal’, in 2022, it found a new, wider audience. She ended up as the first runner-up in the inaugural season of the show. Rosha then began to study music formally. For several years now, the young artist has been studying classical music while pursuing bhajan singing.

She now regularly performs at events and functions in the capital city. And her renditions become instant hits on social media. Her rendition of ‘Jai Ambe’, which she performed with her band Bhakti Sudha last month, has propelled her to newer heights of online stardom.

Rosha says the response on social media has encouraged both her and her band to keep going. “I have received far more love through social media than I expected,” she says. “It has made me so happy.”

She considers the reality show a turning point in her musical journey.  “If I hadn’t taken part in it, I might never have come to Kathmandu to continue music,” she says. “The show introduced me to new audiences and inspired me to make music both my field of study and my career.”

She added, “I also came to understand my own abilities better, and it gave me confidence.”

Rosha now sees music as more than a hobby; it is her future. “I feel that I am continually broadening my knowledge,” she says. Rosha has so far lent her voice to more than 20 songs. She has also recorded covers of about 40 bhajans.

For the past year, she has been singing bhajans during the evening arati at Shri Ramchandra Temple in Battisputali. She and her band perform devotional music there for about an hour each evening. Although the arati follows a set selection of prayers and hymns, they also perform newer bhajans and stotras, or devotional hymns. “I have noticed that the number of young people coming to listen to bhajans in the evening is gradually increasing,” she says.

Looking back on the early days when she and her brother moved to Kathmandu with dreams of building careers in music, Rosha says the memories can still be painful. They faced various difficulties as they tried to establish themselves. “We recorded some songs, but they were never released,” she recalls. “We also faced many challenges over payment after performing.” Despite these challenges, Rosha’s passion for music never diminished. Instead, she kept working to find ways to move forward.

She and Roshan were encouraged by the growing interest in bhajans among young people. To bring the genre to a new generation, give it a distinct musical identity and promote it, they formed Bhakti Sudha. The six-member band is now receiving numerous invitations to perform at events in different places.

Rosha has come a long way from those early days of struggle. She says the income she and her brother earn from bhajan performances, stage shows and social media now helps support their household. Having built her future around music, she is pleased that the field is also providing them with a livelihood.

Rosha says that for her, bhajan is not just a form of entertainment. It is a lifeline. “It is a way to find joy within myself and help others experience peace, too,” she says.