Rongali Bihu Celebration in Sydney

Rongali Bihu festival, which marks the beginning of a new Assamese calendar year, has been celebrated in Sydney ( the business capital district of Australia) since 1999. 15-year old Neem Pillai, who lives in Canberra, traveled three and half hours, to explore through this documentary, the fact that despite so far away from their ancestral places in Assam, a state in India's Northeast, the Assamese community in Australia have managed to provide the complete Bihu experience. She has incorporated the testimonials of members of Assamese community in Sydney and Canberra on their experiences during different times of their involvement. Their perspectives provide an insight on the organising and preparation that goes into such a grand celebration and the challenges in staying connected to the roots of Assamese culture especially while still involving the younger generation and motivating them to be involved with the process.

( Neem Pillai, who has produced this documentary for NEZINE, MEDIA, is currently in year 11 at Canberra Girls Grammar School in Australia. She loves reading, writing and takes special interest in learning about cultural practices and celebrations. )