Nine days after catastrophic floods devastated a Himalayan valley along the Nepal-Tibet border, the death toll exceeds 1,200 with 5,000 still missing. At Kathmandu's Pashupatinath Temple, families perform symbolic cremations using effigies made of sacred kusha grass for loved ones whose bodies were never recovered. Nearly 300 such ceremonies occurred in three days, driven by Hindu tradition requiring mourning rites within 10 days.

Fifteen-year-old Darshan Bhattarai conducted last rites for his father, Pushpa Raj Bhattarai, 46, a hydropower worker posted in Trishuli — one of the worst-hit areas. The family, including mother Kamala, traveled from Kathmandu before the ritual deadline. Priest Rishi Neupane prepared the grass effigy, placed atop a printed photo of Mr. Bhattarai, while Darshan's head was shaved in purification. Relatives sheltered from rain as the ceremony proceeded; Mr. Bhattarai's sister-in-law video-called his elderly parents in their village.

The floods, triggered by a glacial collapse, obliterated hydroelectric projects and swept away workers. One colleague survived by chance, reporting others were carried off by the mud and debris. With hope fading after a week, symbolic cremation offers grieving families a measure of closure.