News and Events

BU helps celebrate Nepalese New Year

13 April 2012

Alan Mercel-Sanca (far left) with attendees of the event, including the Mayor of Bournemouth (far right)

BU hosts an event to celebrate Nepalese New Year.

Nepalese ambassadors, Bournemouth’s Mayor and Mayoress and chief Dorset councillors gathered with Nepalese people living in Bournemouth of all ages to celebrate Nepalese New Years Eve last night.

To celebrate Nepalese New Year 2069 the UK Nepal Friendship Society, along with the Oriental Culture and Education Society from Bournemouth University invited along international VIP’s and members of Bournemouth’s Nepalese community.

Alan Mercel-Sanca, Chairperson of the Oriental Culture Education Society at BU said at the event: “we would like to play our part to assist members of the Nepalese community across Dorset and the Ghurkha community that should have social integration and other needs met.”

Everybody celebrated the occasion with traditional Nepalese cuisine, dancing and music at the Gurkha 2 restaurant, Christchruch Road in Boscombe.

Mrs Ambika Luitel, Deputy Chief of Mission from the Nepalese Embassy, who travelled from London to attend, said “I am so happy to se a mixture of Nepalese and British people here at this big gathering. Diplomatic relations between Nepal and Britain are very cordial and friendly, which has strengthened our relations.”

As well as celebrating Nepalese New Year, the event aimed to create awareness of Nepalese culture and heritage through educational projects, help social integration for international Nepalese students and to encourage volunteering in Nepal to strengthen international relationships.

Professor Chris Sheil, Director of BU’s Centre for Global Perspectives spoke about the origins of organising the celebration:

“This evening’s event has largely started because we have been working with the Oriental Culture and Education Society who asked if BU would be interested in building partnerships with Nepal and UK Nepalese, and given we’re already working there in health care we thought it would be a great idea to find out a bit more.”