Two weeks on, there is still no word from the 16-member pilgrimage group from Sanatan Mandir and Community Centre in Coulsdon, south London, who went missing after catastrophic floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border on 26th August.
The group, led by temple priest Nabhi Nandan Das, was travelling toward the Gyirong border crossing on the way to Mount Kailash, one of Hinduism’s most sacred pilgrimage sites, when a glacier collapse sent a wall of water, mud and debris down the valley, destroying the Gyirong Port immigration facility and villages along the Trishuli River. Nabhi Nandan Das was last in contact by WhatsApp at 3.57am UK time, five minutes before the collapse occurred. Four tour guides travelling with the group are also unaccounted for.
According to Nepal’s disaster management agency, more than 1,287 people are now confirmed dead and over 5,000 remain missing across the border region, among them hundreds of foreign nationals, including dozens of British citizens.
At the Coulsdon Mandir on Chipstead Valley Road, prayers have been held every evening since the disaster. On Friday, the temple marked Janmashtami with prasad prepared for around 200 people, offered in hope for the group’s safe return. “Every hour without news is heartbreaking,” said temple elder Sachin Bagla.
British Hindus stands with the Coulsdon Mandir community and the families of Nabhi Nandan Das and all 16 pilgrims during this agonising wait. If you are able, please keep them in your prayers, and share this post so their story reaches those who may have information.
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