Fort worth: Fort Worth City in Texas, USA, has officially recognized Deepawali, the second largest festival celebrated by the Nepali community, as a special cultural celebration.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the recognition was granted during the regular meeting of the Fort Worth City Council held on Tuesday. With this recognition, the Deepawali festival will now be celebrated annually as an official cultural festival of Fort Worth City.
In the meeting, Council Member Deborah Peoples proposed honoring Deepawali as a symbol of the city’s cultural diversity. The proposal received support from the attending council members. Peoples, representing District No. 5, handed over a Certificate of Recognition to Mohan Gyawali, a leader of the Nepali community and the Building Standards Commissioner of Fort Worth City.
During the certificate handover program, Fort Worth City Mayor Mattie Parker described the Deepawali-Tihar festival as significant from a religious, historical, and cultural perspective, officially recognizing it on behalf of the city. She emphasized that Fort Worth City exemplifies diversity and cultural richness, with the Nepali community contributing notably to this diversity.
Speaking for the Nepali community, leader Gyawali expressed gratitude to the city administration, stating that the recognition of the Nepali cultural festival is a matter of pride for the entire community. The program was attended by notable figures, including Lal Bahadur Airi, General Manager of the Gorkhapatra Sansthan; Rajendra Wagle, President of Nepali Society Texas; and Suraj Bhandari, President of Nepal America Journalists Association, among others.