World in a Tent
Interactive Exhibition
Communities and Culture
Gurung Lady Dancing at World in a Tent Festival
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This is a lady from the Gurung group from West Nepal. She is dancing at the World in a Tent festival in Folkstone.
Aarati Hindi Ritual
There are many religions in Nepal and across the Himalayan region. Besides Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. This is a photo of a Hindu priest blowing a conch shell, part of a ritual.
Folkestone Nepalese Men’s Dance
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This is part of the Nepalese New Year festival event in Folkstone, Kent. They celebrate their New Year in April.
Gurkhas in the British Army playing military music
There is a large, thriving Nepalese community in the UK. They are mainly part of the Gurkha families, who are part of the British Army. They fought for residency rights and achieved this in 2009. The Gurkha are a vital part of the British Army. They have their own military band.
See link to Joanna Lumley’s campaign for the rights of Gurkhas to settle in the UK.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/may/21/gurkha-uk-settle-rights-lumley
Limbu Lady Traditional Dancing 2 World in a Tent Festival
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There are many ethnic groups that make up the Nepalese communities in the UK. These dancers are from the Limbu ethnic group from the NE of Nepal. They all have their own specific dances.
Limbu Lady Traditional Dancing at World in a Tent Festival
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The Limbu costume is traditionally made from gold. These days they are painted gold.
Nepalese Dancing Ladies UK
This is the Kirat Rai ethnic group. They are dancing at an English school in Folkstone, where they are teaching the pupils about their traditional dances.
Nepalese Rai Ladies dancing Sakela Dance at World in a Tent Festival
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These are dancers at the Folkstone community New Year festivities.
Nepalese women in costume
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The ladies traditionally used to wear genuine gold ornaments. These days they still keep gold jewellery as part of their family heritage but they would wear gold plated replicas for events.
Rai Dancing in World in a Tent Festival
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This is a Kirat Rai dancing the Sakela dance at a World in a Tent event in Folkstone. The Sakela dance copies the natural movements of animals, trees and mimic the actions the farmers use in the field, like threshing, sowing, cutting, and gathering harvest. They still use traditional forms of agricultures like, ponies and donkeys to plough; they use tools like scythes, rakes and traditional wooden carts and ploughs.
