Diwali will be a different experience for the Prasad family this year, as their home suffered partial damage from a landslide over the weekend.
On Saturday morning, Rajeev Prasad and his family had to quickly evacuate their house when a section of the nearby hill collapsed, impacting their residence and forcing them to seek shelter with neighbors.
“This year, we won’t be celebrating Diwali in a grand way,” Rajeev said. “We had cleaned our home in preparation for the festival and were planning to start making sweets this week, but now we can’t do anything.”
He characterized this year’s Diwali as ‘memorable’ due to the loss of their home and belongings, which are valued at approximately $20,000. The 37-year-old noted that they would only hold a prayer session since their prayer room remained untouched by the damage.