Upcoming Events:
- Pohela
Boishakh and South Asian New Year Festival,
April 19, 2008.
Click Here to see the Event Flyer
Immediate Next Event:
- Annual Picnic and Post Boishakh Celebration May, 2008.
Yearly Events:
- Boshonto
Utshob: End of February.
- Pohela
Boishak and Southern Asian Festival : On or
about April 14th
- Concert for Bangladesh:
Middle of July
- FOBANA Participation: End Of
August/September.
- Annual Member Picnic: Middle
of October.
- Drama and Cultural Showcase:
TBD.
Past Events:
TBCA has organized, sponsored or hosted the following events:
- Post Pohela Boishakh
Celebration and BOD election, July 7, 2007.
- TBCA performed at the Pecan
Street Festival on May 5, 2007
∙ Bengali & South
Asian New Year Celebration at Zilker Hillside
Theater, Zilker
Park, Austin
Austin Bengalis and South
Asians Showcased Ethnic Culture and Traditions on Saturday, April 14, 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Click here to see the Event FLYER
The
rich tapestry of growing diversity of the population in Austin and Central Texas
is reflected in the number of ethnic cultural celebrations that take place in
the area each year.
One
of the newest and most unique of these events is the Bengali & South Asian
New Year Celebration, on Saturday, April 14 (April 21 in-case bad weather),
2007, from 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm, at city-center Zilker
Park. Now in its sixth
year, the festival is an outdoor cultural event celebrated in a traditional
Bengali & South Asian
style, which have been drawing more than 1000 people from all
walks of lives. The events have been well covered by the local media. Austin
Mayor proclaimed April 14,
2007 as the “Bengali & South Asian New Year Celebration” day of
City of Austin.
The
South Asian New Year is based on a solar calendar introduced in North India over 400 years ago by the Mogul Emperor
Akbar. This year’s celebration, according to the Bengali calendar, ushers in
the year 1414. Traditionally, the New Year is a seminal event in Bengali &
South Asian social and cultural life. Corresponding to the harvest and the
beginning of the financial year for businesses, it is a time of happiness and
joy, and an occasion for festivals and feasting.
The
South Asians in Central Texas have brought with them a proud and fascinating
heritage that they are enthusiastic to keep alive, to pass on to their
posterity, and to add to the remarkable cultural and ethnic diversity that is
taking shape in the region. Transplanting cultural traditions from one place to
another is, in fact, an integral part of American history and experience. With
its New Year Celebration, the Bengali & South Asian community is not only
keeping its own tradition alive; it is also following in a great American
tradition, as well.
The
April 14th New Year Celebration showcases the historically rich, colorful
culture of Bengal & other South Asian countries, and recreates the
atmosphere of optimism and joy that characterizes this occasion for Bengalis
& South Asians. Traditional authentic Bengali & South Asian foods,
ethnic dress, indigenous arts and crafts, open air performances of Bengali
& South Asian music and dance, band show, etc presented by adult and
children will be featured at this celebration. A number of distinguished guests
like Austin Mayor, City Council Members, a number of heads and representatives
from sponsor-corporations and local medias already committed to attend the event.
Admission was free and the general
public was cordially invited to attend.
Texas Bengali Cultural Alliance
(www.tbca-austin.org), a local non-profit organization, in collaboration with
organizations from a number of South Asian countries is organizing the event.
All types of help, support and sponsorship from the
community is requested to make this endeavor successful.
======================================================================================================
- Bengali New Year (1412) celebration
(April, 2005)
- Campaign for Jennifer Kim
(May, 2005)
- Reception for Council Member
Jennifer Kim (July, 2005)
- Donation drive for Katrina
victims (September, 2005)
- MOU sign with Nagorik Natayongon,
Bangladesh (January, 2006)
- Bengali New Year (1413) celebration
(April, 2006)
- Fund raising Event for Austin
City Mayor Will Wynn (April, 2006)
- Jointly organize 35th
anniversary of “Concert for Bangladesh”. Below is the brief Press Release
on this event:
AUSTIN , Texas, July 13, 2006- UNICEF, Austin musicians and artists, and Texas
Bengali Cultural Alliance are presenting a concert tribute for the 35th
anniversary of George Harrison's ground-breaking "Concert for Bangladesh".
The concert will take place on August 1, 2006 at Threadgills
Headquarters on 301 W. Riverside Drive from 8-10pm. The original “Concert for Bangladesh” in
1971 by the Beatles star set a precedence for tribute
concerts to raise money to serve a higher cause and was one of the most
ambitious humanitarian efforts in rock music history. All proceeds from this
concert will go to George Harrison's Fund for UNICEF, and a major portion of it
will be used for UNICEF's MNT
(Maternal Neonatal Tetanus) elimination campaign in Bangladesh.
- Dance Club Jhonkar presented at FOBANA Atlanta on September 2nd
2006.
- Members of TBCA are also
performed multiple group events at the
- “International Cultural
Event” on 7:00 PM Sunday night (September 3rd).