Betravati to hold ritual in memory of flood victims — Kathmandu Post

In Betravati, Nuwakot District, a five-day Hindu fire ritual, Pitri Moksha Yagya, will be held next week in memory of those killed and missing in the August 26 flooding on the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers. The ceremony will take place near the confluence of the Trishuli and Phalanku rivers.

According to the Kathmandu Post, at least 1,457 people died in the disaster in the districts of Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan, while more than 4,700 are still considered missing. Thousands of people were left homeless after the floods swept through towns and villages along the river valleys.

Five-day ceremony

The ritual is organized by the Kathmandu-based Guru Gorakhnath Peeth. It will run from Monday to Friday at the site where Hindu spiritual leader and scholar Yogi Naraharinath held a large-scale Kotihom fire ritual in 1991.

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According to one of the organizers, Prahlad Khatiwada, the ceremony will be conducted by yogis of the Nath tradition, followers of Yogi Naraharinath. Relatives of the deceased will be able to take part in the ritual and pray for the peace and salvation of their loved ones.

Rebuilding Betravati

Betravati is home to Uttar Gaya Dham, an important Hindu pilgrimage center where thousands of believers come every year for memorial rites. After the August floods, local youth began work to restore the town, while young people from the area living abroad are voluntarily raising funds to rebuild the cremation site and temples.

Betravati resident Shashi Dangol criticized the authorities for the lack of a concrete rehabilitation plan more than two months after the disaster. According to him, residents need a recovery plan developed with the participation of local people, rather than only temporary tents.