SAHARSA, April 24 -- Till a few years ago, shehnai -- the classical wind instrument -- would be a regular fixtures at marriages and other functions. Then, like all classical genres of music, it lost out in the melee of modern hip-hop, DJs and orchestras. Its proponents slowly rode into penury. Now, the public administration in Bihar's Saharsa district is attempting to revive the traditional piece and save it from total obscurity. The district administration has decided to link all the artistes with the Mukhyamantri Kalakar Pension Yojna so that they can get at least Rs.3,000 per month as stipend. "We have started listing the artistes scattered in various blocks such as Sattar Kattaiya, Mahishi, Nauhatta, Sobarsha and others in the district," said Sneha Kumari, district culture officer, Saharsa. She said that the district administration started to push shehnai players since January onwards when they were first invited to perform on then chief minister Nitish Kumar's birthday. She added, "We invite them to all those government functions with cultural events and they are given incentives." She added that the district administration aims to change the image of shehnai from 'shaadi byaah ka baaja' to a fixture at every government function so that people of all generations have a familiarity with it. According to a rough estimate, there are around 100 shehnai players in Saharsa district. The government's step has now given them a sense of hope. Fifty five-year-old Maheshwari Ram, a shehnai player and secretary of Sant Guru Ravidas, Dharmik, Sanskritik Kala Manch, Saharsa, said, "There is hardly any demand for shehnai players these days. Hopefully, the government will not only promote traditional musicians, it will tighten noose on unlicensed, high-decibel DJs that are often seen in wedding processions, cultural events and festivals." Mahendra Ram, 65, another shehnai artiste of Saharsa while recalling the time when any wedding or ritual was unthinkable without shehnai, said, "It was not only on high demand it was considered sacred. But during the last two decades, we have seen its sharp decline and disc jockeys and peppy Bollywood item numbers have replaced it, leaving us redundant." "We hardly get any invitations during marriage seasons," said Nago Ram, who has been playing shehnai for over three decades. "We have been forced to live in penury and many of our children have switched to other professions. If we are hired, we are offered meagre Rs.1,500 to Rs.2,000 for a team of three to four members," he added. Fulo Ram, 75, a shehnai player from Maishi village, said that the shehnai was a symbol of respect and a guarantor of living until its mellifluous tunes were crushed by the cruel turn of time. But Maheshwari Ram, who played shehnai on Nitish Kumar's birthday, sees the turnaround of the picture. He said that since January, he has performed at a number of public events and was admired by all. "It should be music to the ears of all shehnai players like me," he emphasised....