Nepalis Mark Dashain and Tihar Amid Ongoing Mourning for Missing Relatives

During last year's Dashain festivities, more than 1.3 million people departed from Kathmandu Valley to return to their ancestral homes. This year, however, 5,285 individuals could not be brought back home for the autumn celebrations. Across numerous communities, families are conducting Hindu rites to close periods of mourning while others still wait for news about missing relatives. Tragic occurrences have disrupted seasonal preparations across multiple locations, including near the Bhote Koshi and in Rasuwa and Baglung. In several villages and shared streets, households continue waiting for word on family members who have not returned, contrasting sharply with how an ordinary year looks like when families gather. The festival season, which typically includes sowing barley seed during Ghatasthapana for Tika, is affected by recent disasters. A glacier gave way above critical locations, while developments concerning projects like the megawatt Budhi Gandaki project unfold alongside seasonal cultural observances during October.