Saturday to celebrate the Teej Festival.
Cobar’s Nepalese community came together on Saturday to celebrate the vibrant Teej Festival, a traditional Hindu celebration that honours women.
Almost 40 Nepalese women and men, most of them young couples, have made Cobar their home while working in a variety of roles at local mines, as well as in aged care and retail.
Some have lived in Cobar for almost six years, while others have only been here for a couple of months.
Saturday’s gathering gave the local ‘Cobar Family’ an opportunity to come together and celebrate their culture and traditions through traditional and modern music, including Nepali rap and dancing.
It was also a chance for the women to dress in traditional and colourful attire, with many wearing their vibrant, embroidered red bridal sarees.
The group also shared traditional Nepalese food, which is known for its bold and often spicy flavours.
Teej is traditionally celebrated by women to welcome the monsoon season and honours Goddess Parvati (who represents power, love, devotion, fertility and the balance between spiritual and family life) as well as her husband, Lord Shiva.
Traditionally, men did not take part in Teej celebrations, however, the younger generation of Nepalese women is increasingly welcoming their husbands to join in the festivities.
A few Cobar guests, including The Cobar Weekly’s editor, Sharon Harland, were invited to go along and join in the celebrations and learn more about Nepalese culture.
For Cobar’s Nepalese residents, Saturday’s celebration was a special opportunity to come together, share their culture and traditions, and enjoy the strong sense of community they have built in their adopted home of Australia and Cobar.
