Dubbo was treated to a wonderful free cultural event during December incorporating storytelling, music, dance, and vibrant colour over two days.

The Ramayan Rhapsody exhibition transformed the Savannah function room at Taronga Western Plains Zoo into an epic storytelling centre that showcased a revered cornerstone of Indian and south-east Asian culture, the Ramayana.

Organised with the support of ORISCON (ORANA Residents of Indian Sub-Continental Heritage), the Hindu Council of Australia and Dubbo Regional Council, the exhibition over December 22-23 offered locals the unique opportunity to explore the Ramayana, the life of Lord Rama, as told by beautiful handcrafted artworks, each with a colourful illustrated background panel and an explanatory information panel.

Dubbo Photo News attended the official opening of the exhibition on Monday, December 22.

“The Ramayana is more than an epic. It is a foundational text that has travelled across centuries, countries and cultures, shaping values, moral reflection and collective memory for millions of people,” ORISCON spokesperson Gargi Ganguly told those gathered.

“At its heart are universal themes of duty, compassion, courage, loss, love and resilience. These are not ideas bound to one culture; their shared human experiences expressing the same fundamental questions about life, relationships and responsibility for migrant communities, projects like this affirm identity and belonging for the wider community,” she added.

“Today's launch is a reminder that stories, especially epics like the Ramayana, continue to matter because they help us understand not only where we come from, but where we move forward together,” she concluded.