In the wake of devastating floods across Nepal, families of the missing have begun performing traditional “grass ceremonies” to honor loved ones whose bodies have not been recovered. The ritual, involving effigies made of sacred kusha grass, symbolizes the final rites and spiritual liberation for those lost in the disaster.

Among those participating is Niranjan Poudyal, who conducted the ceremony for his parents, Basu, 58, and Goma, 55, nearly a week after they were carried away by floodwaters. The couple vanished along with their home in Nuwakot district when a surge of water, ice, and debris swept through the valley following the rupture of a glacier. With their bodies yet to be found, the ceremony allowed their sons to perform rites in accordance with Hindu traditions, including shaving their heads and beards, burning the grass effigies by a stream, and dispersing the ashes into flowing waters leading to the sacred River Ganges. The Poudyal brothers will observe a five-day period of mourning at Kriya Putri Bhawan near Kathmandu, where the ritual took place.

Such ceremonies are becoming common as families come to terms with the likelihood that many of the estimated 4,000 people still missing may never be recovered. Nepal’s National Disaster Management Authority reported that at least 1,204 people have died, with 4,216 missing following the floods that began on August 26. More than 1,114 bodies have been recovered, but overwhelmed mortuaries and the inability to identify many victims have led authorities to authorize mass burials.

The ongoing crisis also has an international dimension. The United Kingdom’s Foreign Office announced that 36 Britons remain missing, many of whom were on religious pilgrimages to Mount Kailash in Tibet. Chinese state media reported 21 fatalities and 541 missing in Tibet, bringing the total death toll in the region to at least 1,225, with approximately 4,757 persons unaccounted for.

Nepali Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal expressed cautious optimism, stating that he still hopes some of those missing may be alive. “Miracles do happen,” he said, urging restraint in abandoning hope.

Complicating the search and recovery effort are uncertainties surrounding the handling of bodies. The family of 30-year-old driver Raj Kumar Shrestha faced confusion after they claimed the body thought to be his disappeared amid bureaucratic discrepancies. Shrestha’s remains, reportedly recovered in Nuwakot and assigned registration number 350, were said to have been transferred to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu. However, the hospital denied receiving the body, leaving the family without closure.

Such cases highlight the immense challenges for authorities attempting to manage the disaster’s aftermath amid overflowing facilities and chaotic conditions. Meanwhile, families around Nepal continue traditional mourning practices, seeking spiritual solace as they confront the reality of loss and uncertainty.