KATHMANDU, Nepal — Thousands of Nepalese offered prayers and flowers at home and in temples Thursday in a Hindu ritual marking the end of a 13-day mourning period for those killed in the country’s massive earthquake.
Families and friends also published condolence messages with photographs of victims in local newspapers.
Thousands of mourners gathered amid piles of stones, mud, bricks and wooden beams that once formed centuries-old temples, palaces and structures toppled in the April 25 quake, which killed more than 7,800 people and injured another 15,000. The main ceremony was held in the ruins of Kastamandap, a temple for which the capital, Kathmandu, was named.
Lawmakers in Nepal’s constituent assembly also stood for a minute of silence in memory of the dead.
In the customary mourning period, close family members stay at home, do not touch outsiders and refrain from eating salt. No entertainment is allowed.