Diwali, the largest Hindu holiday, is being celebrated by families across Connecticut this week and it's the first time it's being recognized by the state.

About 1,900 people attended BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Newington for Diwali celebrations on Monday and Tuesday, according to temple leaders.

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The holiday is celebrated by millions of Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs in India and across the world, but Connecticut hasn’t recognized Diwali until a state law was passed this year .

“I feel really proud because, this is what we have been brought up with and then we are carrying the culture," Shilpa Gohil, a member of the public affairs team at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, said.

Diwali is the celebration of a Hind

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