Devotees, family members of victims offer prayers at Mahakaal temple in Kathmandu
Devotees, priests and family members of many who have been affected by the devastating flash floods in Nepal on Friday offered prayers at the Mahakaal Shani Bhagwan Temple in Kathmandu for the repose of the souls of persons who have lost their lives in the tragedy.
On Friday also marks an auspicious day of Shravan Purnima, and coincides with the festival of Raksha Bandhan.
Massive flash floods originating from Tibet swept through central Nepal, razing down several towns and villages, washing away critical bridges and crippling a dozen hydropower projects as it gushed downstream, affecting multiple districts. As the Himalayan nation continued to grapple with the aftermath of the disaster, a sombre mood prevailed at the Mahakaal Shani Bhagwan Temple.
Devotees and family members of many who have been affected by the calamity offered prayers for those who have lost their lives and for the safe return of those who remain missing.
Suresh, a priest, said, “This temple is specifically a Mahakaal Temple. People come here to offer prayers for their family and for protection from any difficulties or bad times they may be going through.
At present, those who lost their lives in the landslide are being remembered, and prayers are being offered for peace for their souls.
“We are also praying for the well-being and safety of those who survived. That is why people have come here to perform puja and offer prayers,” he told PTI Videos. Several devotees milled around at the old temple and also prayed for the safety and well-being of people and the speedy recovery of the injured.
Govind Singh, a devotee, said, “This is the Mahakaal Temple of Bhairavnath.
We are deeply saddened by the flood in Rasuwa. We pray to God for all those who have lost their lives and pray that they find peace and a place in heaven.”
Several families still have no information about the whereabouts of their loved ones, even as they continue their search, anxiously waiting at hospitals to hear some news about them.
At Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj and at Bharatpur Hospital in Chitwan, many families continued to search for relatives as authorities dealt with a growing number of bodies recovered from the Trishuli and Narayani rivers.
Thakur Prasad Kandel and Lilawati Sapkota were among those at the hospital on Thursday who were looking for their brothers missing since Wednesday morning. Other families at the hospitals were facing similar uncertainty, as relatives tried to establish whether those missing had survived, been rescued or were among the bodies recovered from the rivers.
Shibha Shakya, another devotee at the Mahakaal Shani Bhagwan Temple, said, “If God has so much power, we pray to Him to give everyone peace and protect everyone. Many people, including people from my own district, are still trapped.”
“Many of them have not been able to make contact yet. We pray that God protects them and keeps them safe.
“They have still not been able to contact their families. We pray to God to bring them back safely and that we receive good news that they are safe and sound,” Shakya said. Balram Thapa, another devotee, said, “There is a trauma centre hospital ahead and there is also a temple here. The massive flood in Rasuwa has caused a lot of damage. People from my district, Rolpa, as well as many others across Nepal have suffered heavy losses.” Around 20 people from his district are still stranded there, he said.
“But we have not received any information about them yet. I am searching for them at the hospital as well, and I am also praying for them at the temple.
At present, the people of Nepal are going through a lot of pain and suffering and I am also going through this difficult time,” Thapa said.
The death toll from flash floods in central Nepal rose to 538 on Friday as search and rescue operations continued for a third day, with nearly 1,000 people still missing in the Himalayan nation.
