When a candle is lit in Nepalese culture, it can serve two purposes: to illuminate the path for those who have died and, during Diwali, to help those far from home find their way back.

By Mia Jaworski

“Tonight, we need both,” said Rupesh Parajuli, chief adviser to the Nepalese Association of Connecticut, during a candlelight vigil Sunday evening on the steps outside of West Hartford Town Hall.

About 100 people gathered for the vigil, organized by the Nepalese Association of Connecticut, a registered 501(c)(3) organization serving Connecticut’s Nepali community, that has its headquarters in West Hartford. 

The gathering honored those killed or still missing after a devastating flash flood swept through villages in a Himalayan valley along the Nepal-Tibet border.

At least 1,287 people are known to have died and more than 5,000 remain missing nearly two weeks after the disaster, according to figures cited by the BBC. 

The flooding, believed to have been triggered by a glacial collapse, sent a massive surge of water, ice, mud, and rocks through the Lhende Khola river valley on Aug. 26. Rivers rose by an estimated 15 to 20 meters, burying villages, roads, bridges and thousands of people.

For Connecticut’s Nepalese community, the disaster was not distant.

According to a 2020 Connecticut Asian Pacific Islander Ethnicities map produced by UConn’s Asian American Studies Institute and the CTData Center, about 2,099 Nepalese people live in Connecticut, including 999 in Hartford County.

West Hartford is home to the state’s largest Nepalese population, and annually celebrates Nepal Day in town.

West Hartford resident and Community Engagement Librarian Pramod Pradhan, in a 2024 CT Insider article, said families have been drawn to the town by its schools, public safety, libraries and proximity to the Nepalese community. He estimated that about 100 homes in West Hartford were owned by Nepalese residents, many in the Elmwood neighborhood.

Sunday’s vigil began with the greeting “Namaste,” followed by the national anthems of Nepal and the United States.

Parajuli addressed the crowd gathered at the bottom of the Town Hall steps, leaving space for a large tribute arranged on the ground. A Nepalese flag was surrounded by tea-light candles forming a heart and the word “pray.”

“This is what we have – each other,” Parajuli told the crowd.

Connecticut state Rep. Kate Farrar, who represents the 20th District, followed with remarks of support for the Nepalese community. 

“We want all the Nepalese in West Hartford and across Connecticut to know that we stand with you and we want to support you as friends and in any way we can financially,” Farrar said.

West Hartford Town Council members John Lyons, Tiffani McGinnis, Barry Walters, Jason Wang, and Ben Wenograd also addressed the gathering. They emphasized that the disaster was not only a catastrophe overseas but one that deeply affected people in their own community.

“It’s not only heartbreaking, but deeply personal,” McGinnis said.

Parajuli’s father-in-law, who arrived from Nepal last week, also spoke in Nepali about witnessing the devastation firsthand and seeing the destruction caused by the floods.

As the vigil continued, attendees moved around the tribute, lighting candles, praying and embracing one another. 

The ceremony ended with a moment of silence for those who died and those who remain missing.

Throughout the service, speakers urged attendees to contribute to disaster relief efforts. Donations to the Nepal Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund can be made through the fund’s online donation portal.

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