It was a celebration of faith and culture Monday in one part of Scranton.A festival filled with prayer, thanksgiving and dancing filled the community room of the Skyview Apartment Complex in South Scranton Monday afternoon.Members of Scranton’s growing Nepali-Bhutanese population came together to celebrate their Hindu faith.This is the Durga Puja. We celebrate this on the month of October every year and this is the worship of the goddess of power,” Hema Pokhrel of Scranton said.From the oldest to the youngest, everyone had a part in the celebration.On Monday, the group asked for the well-being of all people, animals and insects.”It’s very important because if God is with us, we can do anything so if she’s with me, I could become a doctor one day,” sixth grade student Nahisha Pokhrel said.the prayers and dancing, people also enjoyed some ethnic food. Over the last five years or so, an estimated 4,000 members of the Nepali-Bhutanese community have made the Scranton-area their home.Bhutan is a small land-locked country neighboring China and India.Many had lived in refugee camps after being forced out by Bhutan’s king roughly 18 years ago.In many instances, the culture they celebrated Monday was banned so being here in America brings them freedom. “They tried to burn our books, the Nepalese books and they didn’t allow us to wear sari’s,” Hari Kadariya said.With the group now opening businesses and enrolling their children in schools locally, members of this community say they are thankful for a new way of life.In 2009, Catholic Social Services from the Diocese of Scranton began helping many of the refugees settle in the Scranton area under a contract with the U.S. State Department.