Parishioners light candles during a vigil for the victims of the flood in Nepal, on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026 at Shree Pashupatinath Temple and Bouddha Vihar in Euless.
Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News
Dressed in a mix of traditional Nepali garb and business casual attire, dozens of people filed down an outdoor aisle to place small candles on an altar and offer prayers for those still missing after the devastating floods in Nepal.
As they waited, many members of North Texas’ Nepali community checked in with each other and recounted what they knew about the situation on the other side of the globe.
Gita Pandey, a Euless resident, said in an interview several relatives were victims of the floods and their bodies have not been found. Some relatives were missing at one of the country’s hydropower sites.
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“It’s too much,” Pandey, 55, said through tears with her hand to her chest. “We lost hope.”
Hundreds of people gathered for the candlelight vigil Monday evening outside of the Shree Pashupatinath Temple and Bouddha Vihar, a Hindu and Buddhist Temple in Euless. The site is also home to the Nepali Cultural and Spiritual Center and the Nepalese Society of Texas.
The vigil was held 13 days after the flooding that, according to the Associated Press, killed more than 1,300 people in Nepal and Tibet. About 5,000 are still missing. Although the catastrophe happened thousands of miles away, the pain was close to home for the Nepali community in North Texas.
Nepal also held a national day of mourning Monday. In Nepal, which is predominantly Hindu, mourning periods last for 13 days. Relatives visit the home to pay their respects and rituals are held on the final day, according to the AP.
Related: Deadly Nepal floods hit close to home for North Texas’ Nepali community
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Priests Megh Raj (center right) and Shaker Pandit (right) lead a prayer during a vigil for the victims of the flood in Nepal, on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026 at Shree Pashupatinath Temple and Bouddha Vihar in Euless.
Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News
Priests from the temple led the crowd in chants and prayer amid the glow of candles. Many attendees clasped their hands and closed their eyes. Dozens of children were seated near an altar under a raised map of Nepal.
A moment of silence followed the prayers, broken only by the exclamations of children in attendance.
Baikuntha Thapa, board of trustees chair for the Nepalese Society of Texas, said most of those gathered for the vigil were born in Nepal and almost everyone knows someone impacted by the disaster.
“This is our first home now,” he said. “Nepal is our second home.”
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Bijaya Bhusal, president of the Society, said the group is collecting donations at https://www.gofundme.com/f/nepals-flood-disaster-relief-fund-2026.
Related: Nepal endured months of political upheaval. Devastating floods are now testing its new government
Ram Chandra Bhatta, 52, who attended the vigil, said several of his relatives are still missing, including his brother-in-law. It’s impossible to know how to rebuild when the floods left such a devastating impact, he said.
Parishioners light candles during a vigil for the victims of the flood in Nepal, on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026 at Shree Pashupatinath Temple and Bouddha Vihar in Euless.
Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News
“Right now there is nothing,” he said. “They are helpless.”
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Biraj Paudel, a sophomore at University of Texas at Arlington from Nepal, said his family is safe, but other family friends and neighbors were impacted by the floods.
“We can do nothing about it, except pay respects and hope they will find their peace in the heavens,” he said.
The disaster occurred after a collapse of bedrock and glacier ice sent water and debris flooding through Himalayan rivers, according to the Associated Press. The AP reported while scientists say it is too soon to link the disaster to global warming, the Himalayan region is warming and flash floods are becoming more common as high mountain glaciers melt.
“Knowing that your actions are impacting someone’s life, that’s something worth knowing and worth being conscious about,” Paudel said. “Please at least don’t ignore the fact these things are happening.”