ABSTRACT
Encounters with the divine are a daily occurrence for most Newars. Hardly a day passes without some ritual observance; hardly a step can be taken without passing some temple or shrine. The primary purpose of religious singing in South Asia can be straightforwardly summarized as the articulation of sacred words aloud, so that they can be heard by men and gods. Instrumental accompaniment often features drums and/or cymbals to maintain the rhythmic structure, but may also include melodic instruments to support the singers. The concept of music as esoteric knowledge is manifested in two important requirements. Dapha is taught behind closed doors, inside which no one may be present other than teachers, students and gods; the teaching process is highly ritualized, with pujas at the beginning and end, and at specific milestones along the way. The most important point to note for our purposes is that there is no single, definitive type of Dapha song.
