Every Saturday from 10am until midday a small room in Mowbray comes alive with culture.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Meanwhile, a cricket pitch somewhere near Launceston is flooded with bright orange jerseys and filled with laughter.
Every so often a hall is filled with music and the aromas on Nepalese cooking.
In the winter, the cricket pitch is traded in for a soccer field, similarly filled with willing but happy-go-lucky competitors.
The same group is behind every endeavour.
Since the first members of the Northern Tasmanian Nepalese community started arriving in places like Launceston, the group has grown into something some might not even recognise as significant. But for Nepalese people living the life, it has become a disaporic like organism - a microcosm of Nepal - and a place enable the maintenance of culture in a foreign place more than 10,000 kilometres away.
Before the mid 2010s, Nepalese visitors to Launceston were few and far between, now Nepalese is the third most spoken language in the state, and the population of Nepalese natives in Northern Tasmania has surge to about 3500.
Santosh Ashikari was one of the early visitors to set up his home in Launceston. Since, he has become an integral part of the movement that has drawn thousands of his countrymen to join him.
Mr Adhikari is now a part of the Multicultural Council of Tasmania, but his foundational role started long before his official position.
e came to Tasmania in 2016, and soon recognised the importance of fostering a place where Nepalese culture could at once immerse itself in Launceston and grow from the existing community around it.
"Nepali people have lots of cultural events," he said.
"And while coming here [to Launceston], most of them missed that. Now in Launceston we have registered our [Nepalese] society and we organise some events, and everyone is happier.
"Nepali people who have come here from other places like Melbourne or Sydney could not participate in these things, but they're happy here. People have a place to celebrate everything they have missed from the past."
For Ram Kumar Shresta, being a member of that community has fulfilled much of his life.
He is the president of the cricket club, and also plays in the soccer team.
He and a friend helped form a Launceston Nepalese cricket club from 2015, before it was officially registered in 2018.
Mr Shresta said he noticed a gap in the community where sport could come in and offer other Nepalese people in Launceston the chance to be part of the group.
While being active was one element of the teams, the ability to offer a place of engagement and togetherness was the club's strength.
"It makes a place of bonding for all of our community members. Our soccer team as well, we do club functions and hundreds of people will turn up," Mr Shresta said.
"It helps to recognise that out community is growing."
The common ground offered by cricket has also offered the Nepalese community a collision of cultures between that which was existing in Launceston, and that which was brought from Nepal.
Mr Shresta said cricket was a shared interest that helped the Nepalese community integrate with rusted on people in Launceston, but also a platform to inject what Nepalese culture is into longstanding beliefs already existing in the area.
On one particular Sunday, like most, Mr Shresta brought his young daughter Ronsiha to his cricket match. She freely interacted with the men playing in the cricket team, but she knew them well before she showed up to the game.
Ronisha attended one of the most significant elements of the Nepalese community, the Bhasalaya school - a voluntary school founded and supported by the community.
Bhasalaya school coordinator Nawraj Gautama said it became apparent there was a growing void between first native Nepalese living in Launceston and their Australian born children or grandchildren.
"Bhasalaya was started to fill a gap between the first and second generation, who were born here," Mr Guatama said.
"Those born here should have the chance to know their culture and language. We are able to tell them about Nepal, and we want our kids to be part of the culture and language we grew up with."
Now, Bhasalaya has about 30 students aged between three and 12.
Mr Shresta said it was evident within his daughter that the school was providing cultural nourishment she would have otherwise missed.
"She hasn't been to Nepal, but she's asking about Nepal: 'what is Nepal? What do they do there? What language do they speak?'," he said.
"She is proud to be a Nepalese-Australian. I think it's important she can speak Nepalese language because she speaks English in childcare, but I want to maintain that part of her and I don't want her to lose that portion."
What do you think? Send us a letter to the editor:
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.examiner.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter: @examineronline
- Follow us on Instagram: @examineronline
- Follow us on Google News: The Examiner