Veteran Madal player Nhuchhe Bahadur Dangol has been felicitated with the title Badhya Samrat. Dangol was felicitated jointly by Nepal Music Center and Nepal Sangeet Vidyalaya amid a function held to mark the International Dance Day, on Sunday. Dangol received a certificate and purse of Rs 10,000 from culture expert Satya Mohan Joshi and musician Ratna Shamsher Thapa. 

Nhuchhe Bahadur, 70, who was born in Asan, started teaching music and Madal from 1958. He has toured countries like Japan, London, France, and America, among others, to give musical performances with the drummed instrument. Dangol has also performed for Queen Elizabeth in London and collaborated with singers like Gopal Yonjan, Bhaktaraj Acharya, and Mira Rana. Dangol is also a noted dancer; his dancing career spans as long as his musical career, beginning from his first performance at the Royal Palace in 1956.

On the same occasion, dance director Raju Shah and Bhairab Bahadur Shah were also felicitated. The programme also saw various forms of dances like Manjushree Nritya, Bharatnatyam, and Modern dances as performed by the students of Nepal Sangeet Vidyalaya. Likewise, actors Dilip Rayamajhi and Ramesh Uprety and actress Purnima Lama also performed dances at the event.