Nepali New Year has always had a different connection with me.
Maybe it is not only about the date changing. Maybe it is the feeling that comes with it — the food, the family, the noise, the colours, the music, and that simple joy of being together. Growing up, New Year never felt like just a number on a calendar. It felt like a reason to gather, cook, laugh, dress up, visit people, and feel close to home.
Nepali New Year 2083 officially began on 14 April 2026. For me, that feeling started in a small way at home, with Chicken Sizzler made together with my wife and sister-in-law. It took almost four hours to prepare everything — the sauce, chicken, fresh fries, vegetables and noodles. Maybe that is why it is still one of my favourite dishes. It has a little bit of everything, and somehow that makes it feel like a good memory on a plate.
A few weeks later, on Friday 1 May 2026, I got to be part of the Nepalese New Year 2083 Bendigo Celebration, organised by Nepalese in Bendigo at Huntly Memorial Hall in Huntly, Victoria. The event was held from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, and the official listing described it as a night of cultural food, live music, DJ and dance performances, proudly supported by the Victorian State Government.
I was there to enjoy the evening and also to capture a few moments through Lens & Moments.
From the beginning, the hall had a warm community feeling. There were families, elders, children, familiar faces, and people helping in different corners of the event. Some were involved with the food, some with the decorations, some with the program, and others were simply there to enjoy the night. That is what made it feel real. It was not only a formal celebration — it felt like people had come together with genuine care.
The food was one of the highlights of the evening. There was pulao, chicken fry, dal, achar, pickle, goat curry and other Nepali dishes. Food has a way of bringing people closer, especially when you are living away from the place where those flavours first became part of your life.
There were also cultural performances, dancing, music, DJ, games and plenty of laughter. One of the fun moments was the musical chair game, where the winner received a big wall clock as a prize. There was another game as well, with another winner, and people were cheering, clapping and enjoying the moment. These small things gave the night a relaxed and joyful feeling.
It was also nice to see people like Ian Green, Thomas Prince, Abhishek Awasthi, Ajay Mishra and many others present, supporting and sharing the evening with the Nepalese community in Bendigo.
What I appreciated most was seeing so many Nepali people together here in regional Victoria. Celebrating Nepali New Year away from Nepal feels different, but it also becomes meaningful in its own way. Australia is the place many of us now call home, and I feel grateful that we can build a life here while still sharing the culture, food, music and memories we come from.
That balance matters.
Respecting the country we live in does not mean forgetting where we came from. And celebrating our culture does not take anything away from the place we now call home. In fact, nights like this add something beautiful to the wider Bendigo community. They show connection, belonging and the many stories that make this country feel more alive.
As a photographer, I always look for the moments that feel honest. Not only the stage photos or the group photos, but the small moments too — elders sitting together, families smiling, people dancing, someone receiving a prize, children watching the crowd, and community members quietly helping in the background.
Those are the moments that tell the real story.
The Nepalese New Year 2083 Bendigo Celebration was not only about marking a date. It was about remembering home, sharing culture, respecting the place we live in, and coming together as a community.
A big respect to Nepalese in Bendigo and everyone who helped make this evening possible.
Here are a few moments I captured through Lens & Moments from the Nepalese New Year 2083 celebration in Bendigo.
Happy Nepalese New Year 2083.
