Families gathered in West Hartford to celebrate Nepal Day on Sunday.
West Hartford is home to a vibrant and growing Nepali population.
These are people from Nepal, a landlocked country that borders China to the north and India to the east, south, and west.
Families gathered in West Hartford to celebrate Nepal Day on Sunday.
"This started three years ago, and some of the underlying factors behind that is our community has been exponentially growing," said Rupesh Parajuli, of West Hartford.
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Parajuli is a member of the Nepalese Association of Connecticut and hosted this weekend's event.
When he moved to West Hartford in 2005, he says there were very few Nepali families living in the area.
"We used to drive all way to Branford just to see another new Nepali coming in, you know, it was that sparse," said Parajuli.
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But he says that has changed in the last several years.
On Sunday, Napali families from around the state dressed in traditional clothes and gathered outside Town Hall to watch their loved ones perform. After, they paraded through downtown West Hartford.
"I think it's really nice how they show the culture, especially here in the center, it really nice," said Sanvi Acharya, of West Hartford.
"Yeah, we also want people to know about our culture," said Radha Khadka, of West Hartford.
Acharya and Khadka say more than a hundred languages are spoken back home, and they're proud to celebrate their identity in their second home.
