Exhibition in South Park shines light on Himalayan culture
Permila Rai greets guests at the Himalayan Cultural Exhibition and Food Festival.
Barsha Phuyel, a cosmetologist at FreeStyle Beauty Salonm, shows her henna tattoo.
Musical instruments of the Himalayas are on prominent display.
Harry Funk/The Almanac
Festivalgoers dance to traditional music.
Roshika Gajmer welcomes exhibition guests on behalf of the Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh. She is an administrative assistant for the nonprofit organization, which works for the benefit of Bhutanese who have resettled in the region.
Welcoming guests are Khara Timsina, Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh executive director, and event volunteer Srinidni Alur.
Casey Rich is service coordinator for the South Hills Interfaith Ministries' Prospect Park Family Center, which offers services to many people from Himalayan cultures who live in the region.
Representing Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Organization are, from left, Yagya Aryal, Vishnu Tiwari, Damanti Tiwari and Laxmi Nepal. The regional location for the organization, which offers courses in Raja Yoga meditation, is in Whitehall.
A hand percussion instrument is displayed.
Traditional costumes are displayed.
Students prepare for a martial arts demonstration during the exhibition.
Delicacies are prepared for the enjoyment of those attending the Himalayan Cultural Exhibition and Food Festival.
Food is prepared for exhibition guests.
A master of ceremonies announces what is transpiring during the Himalayan Cultural Exhibition and Food Festival.
Those who paid attention in geography class may remember the world’s highest-altitude mountain peaks are in the Himalayas.
By contrast, many tend to know little about the people who live there, or the people who used to live there. Organizers of a recent event in South Park are looking to change that.
The Himalayan Cultural Exhibition and Food Festival provided an opportunity for guests to learn about the Bhutan-Nepal region of central Asia while enjoying music, dance, art, handiwork and cuisine of various ethnic groups.
“We brought it to the South Hills of Pittsburgh to introduce ourselves to the neighbors around here,” Tek Rimal said.
He is vice president of Himalayan Foundation-USA, the nonprofit that planned the event. Til Gurung serves as president.
“We wanted to have this program in the fall, when the environment is so beautiful,” he said. “We have a very important festival coming, so everyone will be in a festive mood.”
The exhibition took place in advance of Tihar, which is celebrated in Nepal and India’s states of Sikkim and West Bengal in honor of Yama, the god of death, and Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.
Among the cultural elements on display were traditional and ceremonial musical instruments, traditional costumes and jewelry, farming and household tools and equipment, knitting and weaving, drawings and paintings, and photography depicting the lives of people in Bhutan and Nepal, and those who now are in the United States.
Unrest in the region has led refugees seek new homes in other countries, including more than 8,000 who have settled in the South Hills, primarily in the Baldwin-Whitehall-Brentwood area.
Himalayan Foundation-USA was started in 2016 with the mission of ensuring the acclimation, health and long-term well-being of the immigrant community by addressing the urgent needs of its most vulnerable members, facilitating the social and educational success of its youth, and preserving Himalayan history and culture.
“In the long term, we are planning to establish a Himalayan cultural museum here in Pittsburgh,” Rimal said. “We are trying to collect artifacts through this program, and then those artifacts will be placed in the museum eventually.”
One cultural aspect is temporary but appealing: the ancient practice of henna tattoos known as Mehndi. Artists from FreeStyle Beauty Salon in Brentwood attended the exhibition to demonstrate.
“For our culture, henna is something we usually tend to do during weddings. It’s a decoration for the brides,” Barsha Phuyel, a FreeStyle cosmetologist, said.
“I think this is a really good opportunity for us because we get to meet people from other cultures, as well as our own.”
For more information, visit himfousa.org