From the Himalayas to Rocky Top, the Nepali community at UT is flourishing.

The University of Tennessee Nepali Student Association is a volunteer organization representing the Nepali community in Knoxville and surrounding cities. Formed in 2011, the group seeks to celebrate Nepali culture while informing the public about the group’s heritage. Nearly 25 students and more than 70 total members have found a home in the group.

“This association was established to gather our Nepalese students and

other Nepalese communities in Knoxville,” said Utsala Shrestha, Nepali Student Association president. “Basically, we

gather and celebrate our culture … we maintain the new students coming

from Nepal, so they don’t feel like there’s culture shock.”

Shree Pradhan, teaching assistant in economics and former president

of the association, is excited about the direction the organization is heading in,

stating when he first came to UT from Kathmandu, Nepal, he

recognized the need for an organization uniting people of Nepali region.

“We created it because there was a demand,” Pradhan said.

The Nepali Student Association hosts many cultural events and social events throughout the school year. On Sept. 10, the association hosted its first community service project, a blood drive, in Hodges Library. Buddhi Pantha, a graduate student and member of the Nepali Student Association, helped organize the event in coordination with the non-profit organization Blood Donors of America.

Pantha said he was elated with the 24 donors the event received by the end of the day. By the time the event was over, organization members were turning donors away.

“We worked hard,” Pantha said. “Some of the people are so, so nice and generous … I was surprised, we were expecting around five to 10 people. Suddenly, there were a lot of people.”

The group plans to participate in the International Festival on Sept. 24 by providing traditional Nepalese food and cultural demonstrations to attending patrons. Neelam Poudyal, former faculty adviser for the Nepali Student Association, spoke of the organization’s intent to educate the community on Nepalese traditions.

“They (Nepalese) are coming together through this association and showcasing their culture,” Proudyal said. “They are trying to bring all Nepalese together in the community.”

The Nepali Student Association plans to hold an event celebrating one of Nepal’s most popular religious festivals, Dashain, on Sept. 27. Pradhan said that this event, like most of the association’s events, is meant to grow the organization’s size and the Nepali community in East Tennessee.

“It’s growing at a much faster rate than when we started,” Pradhan said. “It’s kind of a focal point for everyone in the society to

meet together to discuss and find some kind of a home away from home.”