A decade since the release of her first album ‘Choko Chhyaba Ramche’, Hari Maya Gurung has grown much to her professional limitations as a folk singer. Having worked in more than a dozen of films including ‘Eku 2’, ‘Chhori ko karma’, ‘J sukai hos’ as an actor, she has actively been engaged in social and cultural activities. Widely known as a folk singer though, she has recently released her latest album ‘Jala Jovan’ taking her other interests simultaneously.

In conversation with My City’s Sonam Lama, Gurung revealed the five things that many may not know about her.

Morning jogger

 A half an hour of jogging is what she starts her day with. An active student of sports since her school days, she has been carrying out with the early morning jogging for the past seven years now. “I believe both physical and mental wellbeing play important role to live a healthy lifestyle. So I like keeping a balance between them,” said Hari Maya. 

Avid traveller 

Widely recognized as a folk singer, she has so far travelled to perform in about a dozen of countries including Singapore, Oman, China, Italy, et cetera. Most of her singing and visit tour rounds in various districts of Nepal. And while on her tour, she admires visiting places of cultural significance, museums in order to learn and explore different Nepali cultures.

Fond of gardening 

One of her interests that make her staying at home fruitful is gardening. Having grown up in village at Gorkha, she finds herself close to nature. Much of her time home is spent gardening and cultivating a variety of seasonal and colorful flowers. "Watering the plants and flowers are a part of my daily chores whenever I am home,” she said.

Keen film maker

Besides acting and singing she is quite fond of film-making and has so far directed two films, 'Maa' and 'Mann ko kura'. Shot in a typical Gurung setting, the films deal with social issues and development. Having taken a long break from it, she now is looking forward to making a documentary based on women empowerment. 

Social activist 

The idea of giving back to the community has inspired Hari Maya to indulge in community based works. Collaborating with numerous organizations, she has been carrying out her efforts in social works simultaneously with her singing and acting career. She has been actively providing training on menstrual health and hygiene in rural communities of Nepal like Solukhumbu, Gorkha, Sindhupalchok and Bhaktapur post-earthquake.