Thousands of Hindu devotees indulged in an all-night vigil at the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal on the eve of Bala Chaturdashi, gathering under makeshift shelters and tending to oil lamps in memory of departed loved ones. The annual ritual, observed on Marga Krishna Trayodashi, the 13th day of the waning moon in the Nepali month of Mangsir, is dedicated to seeking peace for the souls of ancestors.

Participants remain awake throughout the night, protecting the lamps they light in honour of deceased family members. At dawn on Marga Krishna Chaturdashi, they take a ritual bath before beginning a circumambulatory walk around the temple complex, scattering Satbeej—seven sacred grains—along the traditional pilgrimage route.

“On Bala Chaturdashi Satbeej will be spread; today the lamp

See Full Page