Sept 29: Bhutanese people resettled in different parts of Europe marked Dashain festival amidst different functions.
Tek Bahadur Tiwari from Northern Norway informed BNS that the most recently resettled Bhutanese in this region were much cheerful to have an opportunity to celebrate this festival.
40 Bhutanese people were just resettled in Vadsø, a kommune sharing its boarder with Russia, a month ago.
In the program organized in a kommune hall on September 27, there was presence of Refugee coordinator, Officials from the regional police, journalists and different leaders from the region. Children had performed typical Nepali dances. Though the cultural program was organished in a kommune hall, Vijaya dashami day was observed by individuals in their respective apartments.
More than 30 Bhutanese in Alta, the first refugee resettlement place in Norway, gathered in the apartment of Ram Baniya, secretary of newly formed Association of Bhutanese in Norway (ABN) to receive teeka from the elders.
Chandra Giri, a central committee member of ABN informed that cultural program was organised in Trondheim, a city in central Norway to mark the festival.
Around 54 Bhutanese resettled there were present along with some Nepali students studying in Throndheim. The program was assisted by Throndheim Cultural International Office and was participated by the representatives from different governmental offices.
The Vijaya Dashami day was observed with teeka collectively in the apartment of Giri with many of their relatives and some Burmese resettled there.
Around 60 Bhutanese resettled in Rogaland region in south-western Norway marked the day of Vijaya Dashami yesterday with a special function in a cultural hall. Durga Puja was performed by the elderly Bhutanese resettled in this region. Teeka was received by the Bhutanese from four different kommunes together with Shiva Adhikari, the cultural orientation trainer for Norway from Oslo and Devendra Gautam, presently living in Germany.
The cultural program included the Nepali dances by Bhutanese children and a Nepali dance by a Norwegian girl, sangini by Aama samuha, bhajan and some dances by elderly Bhutanese too. The representatives from different kommunes, teachers from different schools and locals were among other guests present during the occasion.
The declaration of regional working committee of ABN was also launched at the function.
According to the information given by Ram Karki in the Netherlands, owing to the dispersal of the Bhutanese resettled there after getting permanent residences, no any specific program had been organized there but people celebrated Dashain in a traditional manner in their respective apartments.
People who had started their new life from Refugee Transit Centres in the Netherlands have just started living in their own apartments recently and many of them are far away from one another.
Tejman Rayaka from Munich in Germany said that they celebrated Vijaya Dashami in the house of Durga Giri, a senior Bhutanese living in Germany for more than a decade. They are scheduled to organise a special function this Saturday. There are about 35 Bhutanese living in different parts of Germany.
Meanwhile., resettled refugees in Denmark have marked Dashain festival yesterday amidst a special function.
According to Durga Adhikari and Kamal Kumar Koirala, around 23 Bhutanese had gathered in the apartment of Oma Kanta Adhikari in Denmark to celebrate vijaya Dashami.
It is reported that due to scattered living, organizing a common program was difficult in Denmark.
Meanwhile, five Bhutanese people including Kamal Kumar Koirala had attended a Dashain party organized by Nepalese Ambassador to Denmark.
By Ramesh Gautam, Norway
