Bhaktapur, April 9 -- Nepal's ancient city of Bhaktapur has, from Thursday, started early celebrations to welcome the Nepali New Year with music and festivities.

On the eve of the formal start of Biska Jatra, the nine-day-long festivity of the ancient city of Bhaktapur, dozens of denarians and vicenarians performed a synchronised musical performance.

Every beat of the Dhime, the traditional double-headed cylindrical drum, tells a different story, and the dance narrates a story which carries its own significance.

"The performance was made by the Newa community. It is performed to welcome the Nepali New Year, the Bikram Sambat. It is performed by Newars in their traditional attire, which is generally understood as Newa dress (the Haku Pa...