Barcelona, September 20
Nepali and Spanish communities across several Spanish cities have come together in memory of those killed or missing in Nepal’s flood disaster. From Benidorm, a tourist town in the Costa Blanca region, to Barcelona, residents and elected officials joined tribute events.
More than a hundred Nepalis and local Spanish residents took part in a candle-lighting ceremony organised Thursday evening by the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) Spain in Benidorm.
Local officials in attendance included Benidorm Mayor Antonio “Toni” Pérez and Social Welfare Councillor Ángela Zaragozí, among others.
Participants lit hundreds of candles in tribute to those killed or gone missing in Nepal.
Benidorm Municipality to provide €8,000 aid
Expressing solidarity with the Nepali community, Benidorm’s municipal government also decided to contribute €8,000 (NPR 14,07,272) to support those affected by the disaster.
The day after the Benidorm event, a tribute program was also held in Barcelona with participation from both the Nepali and Spanish communities.
The Barcelona event took place in two parts. In the first part, members of the Nepali and Spanish communities jointly performed kirtan (devotional chanting), with Spanish residents joining alongside the Nepali community. This was followed by a lamp-lighting ceremony in the second part.
Over 2 million rupees collected
Members of the Nepali and Spanish communities lit lamps together in tribute to the deceased. Participants prayed for the eternal peace of the departed souls and expressed condolences to the grieving families.
NRNA Spain President Santosh Shrestha said that while there had been plans to hold part of the event outdoors with placards drawing attention to the rising frequency of such disasters in Nepal due to climate change, delays in getting local permits meant the program had to be held indoors instead.
Shrestha said NRNA Spain has collected more than 2 million rupees for those affected by the disaster and is preparing to send the funds to Nepal soon. He added that Nepalis in Spain, along with various organisations, are also continuing to raise funds both individually and institutionally.
