Thousands of Lamps Illuminate Nepal's Great Stupa for Peace Prayer

On September 9, 2026, thousands of lamps illuminated Nepal's Great Stupa in Kathmandu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as part of a Global Peace Lighting Action organized by the U.S.-based InLight Foundation. The event, attended by more than 1,000 people, aimed to remember those who lost their lives in recent floods and landslides and to pray for peace, healing, and hope.

The Great Stupa, a significant Buddhist monument, hosted the ceremony. According to the latest official figures, 1,369 people had died in Nepal, with 5,132 still missing. On the Chinese side of the Himalayas, in the Tibet Autonomous Region, 43 people had died and 519 remained missing. The combined toll stood at 1,412 deaths and 5,651 missing individuals.

Before the ceremony began, Kathmandu was hit by a heavy rainstorm. Despite the inclement weather, nearly 100 volunteers prepared thousands of lamps around the stupa. As the event officially commenced at around 6 p.m., the rain gradually ceased, and clouds parted, allowing the setting sun to briefly illuminate the ancient structure. As darkness fell, the thousands of lamps created a warm sea of light surrounding the stupa.

The lamps were arranged in patterns representing hearts, the sun, moon, and stars, the Nepalese flag, and the Himalayas. Flowers, candles, and handwritten blessings were placed alongside them. A special prayer card titled "I Am With You" was created for participants to write the names of relatives and friends they had lost. Minmin, a participant, wrote the names of more than 20 relatives and friends who had perished in the disaster. For her, the thousands of lights symbolized remembrance and a message to those who had died and to the families still waiting for news: You are not forgotten.

Geshe Thubten Jinpa, President of the Nepal Buddhist Federation, and Master Jiumei, Chair of the InLight Foundation, jointly lit the main lamps, formally opening the ceremony. Volunteers and participants then lit the remaining lamps one by one. The number 11,111, which the organizers deemed symbolic, represented one moment of awareness, one heart of compassion, one light of wisdom, one awakened person, and one peaceful world.

Participants walked around the stupa, offering prayers and blessings for those who died, those who remained missing, and the families affected by the disaster. The InLight Foundation also organized a smaller lighting and prayer activity in Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, in front of Maya Devi Temple.

The ceremony was not just a Buddhist religious gathering but also a public expression of remembrance, compassion, and solidarity following a major natural disaster. Master Jiumei emphasized that the Global Peace Lighting Action aimed to go beyond a traditional prayer ceremony. "We initiated the Global Peace Lighting Action by lighting 11,111 lamps not only to pray for those who lost their lives in the disaster and to send blessings to those experiencing loss and pain. More importantly, it is about awakening the light within each person," she said.

The force that can truly carry us through disaster and connect one human being with another comes from within, Jiumei explained.

The September 9 ceremony also carried a message of solidarity across national borders. The disaster affected communities in both Nepal and the Chinese side of the Himalayas, and participants gathered in Kathmandu to remember the victims and express their concern for those still waiting for their loved ones. For the organizers, this was the meaning of the Global Peace Lighting Action: beginning with one person, one family, and one community, and extending compassion beyond national and cultural boundaries.

Following the ceremony, the InLight Foundation continued its humanitarian response by making donations to the Nepal Red Cross and providing supplies for people affected by the disaster who had lost their homes. At a relief center, assistance was provided to more than 500 survivors and affected families, including women, mothers, and children. The donated supplies included clothing, food, infant and children's necessities, toys, and other daily necessities. Clothing was also prepared for women ahead of Nepal's Women's Festival on September 14.

The combination of remembrance and practical assistance was described as "two-way philanthropy", not simply giving from one side to another, but creating a connection in which people participate, respond, and awaken compassion through action.