“Praying for Nepal”: Nepal Holds Vigils as 13-Day Mourning Period Ends After Deadly Floods
- Nepal held prayers and candlelight vigils to mark the end of a 13-day Hindu mourning period following devastating flash floods
- The floods killed at least 1,380 people, left more than 5,500 missing, and tore through communities across the country
- Priests, monks and residents gathered at Devighat in Nuwakot District and Kathmandu to honour the dead as search efforts continued
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Source: Getty Images
Nepal paused to grieve on 8 September 2026. Priests, monks and ordinary residents gathered at Devighat in the Nuwakot District and in Kathmandu to mark the close of a 13-day Hindu mourning period following some of the worst flash floods the country has seen in recent memory.
The floods killed at least 1,380 people and left more than 5,500 others missing, devastating communities across large parts of the landlocked Himalayan nation. Search efforts were still underway as the memorial gatherings took place.
Reuters footage shared by CNN on TikTok captured the sombre mood across both sites. Fire offerings formed part of the Hindu memorial rituals, and candlelight vigils lit up the evening as communities came together to honour those lost.
Prayers for the departed
One priest at the gathering spoke directly to the souls of those who had perished. He said:
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"I have to pray for all those departed souls. Please go ahead on your infinite journey. No matter how many sufferings, no matter how many obstacles, we pray. Thank you."
The 13-day mourning period is rooted in Hindu tradition, which holds that the soul requires prayers and rituals over this time to transition peacefully into the afterlife. The communal nature of the vigils reflected how widely the floods had touched the country, with grief shared across entire neighbourhoods and villages.
View the TikTok video below:
How viewers responded
The video drew hundreds of comments on the page from people across the world, with many expressing sympathy and others raising questions about the rituals shown:
@titaniumhoneybadger said:
"They need to dig deeper than that"
@npc.energyyyy commented:
"I didn't know their language is English"
@m.c🇧🇪🇱🇺 said:
"Isn't Nepal landlocked"
@Keith Mason simply wrote:
"Praying for Nepal"
More Briefly News stories on Nepal
- Two workers were rescued alive after surviving nine days inside a flooded tunnel at Nepal’s Trishuli 3A site, raising hopes for others still missing.
- Terricia Govender’s mother, Linda, travelled to Nepal to join the search for her missing daughter amid dangerous flood conditions.
- A Durban mother and daughter returned safely from Nepal after the floods, while six South Africans remained missing.
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Source: Briefly News
