Following the catastrophic Bhotekoshi floods in Nepal, survivors are finding it increasingly difficult to mourn their dead. Many families have resorted to using effigies made of kusha grass to perform funeral rites, as they have been unable to recover the bodies of their loved ones.
The floods, which occurred on August 26, displaced countless families, sweeping away homes and leaving survivors without proper facilities to conduct mourning rituals. In the aftermath, survivors have flocked to Kathmandu in search of shelter but have encountered further challenges in finding space to grieve.
Insufficient Space for Mourning Rituals
The entire country is currently in mourning. To help the relatives of the victims, we opened this Kiriyaputri Bhawan after the floods.
Raj Kumar Phuyal, Treasurer of the Temple Management Committee
Nirajan Poudel, a survivor who lost multiple family members in the disaster, shared his experience at the Kiriyaputri Bhawan. 'After we could not find any space to stay during the mourning period, we came here,' he said.
- Over 1,200 bodies recovered from the floods.
- Thousands still missing, complicating mourning for families.
The Kiriyaputri Bhawan, though still under construction, has opened its doors to flood victims. However, the facility is already at capacity, as many families have lost several members.
The situation is further exacerbated by a lack of cooking gas, forcing families to fend for themselves. Rishi Prasad Nepal, a member of the Gupteshwar Temple Kiriyaputri Bhawan management committee, noted that they cannot provide cooking gas for mourning families.
The rapid burial of unidentified bodies in mass graves has left families with limited options. Victims report that around 100 individuals are still unaccounted for in Bidur Municipality alone, raising concerns about the total number of missing.