What began as a pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar has turned into an anxious wait for a Lucknow family whose two members—a couple living in the US (Overseas Citizens of India)—were among those in Nepal when the August 26 flash flood hit the country.
Deepak Ahuja, 60, and his wife Madhu Ahuja, 57, had been in Nepal for 14 days with Isha Sacred Walks group S3. They were travelling with three-four relatives, who had come from Texas in the United States for pilgrimage with an Indian group, and were returning from Kailesh Mansoravar Yatra.
While the other group members returned, Deepak and Madhu remained untraceable, their family members said.
According to the family members, the incident occurred when the couple was at an immigration centre on the Nepal-China border. According to information shared by the Uttar Pradesh relief commissioner’s office, Deepak’s last location was recorded in Kathmandu, while Madhu’s was traced near the China-Nepal border. When HT reached out to Kavita Ahuja, Deepak’s mother, on phone, she was inconsolable.
“Family members had gone to Nepal for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage. The other relatives accompanying them returned. Deepak and Madhu, however, have not returned and the family has been unable to establish their whereabouts,” she said. For the family, the last location updates shared by the relief commissioner’s office have become the only concrete leads. The family is now hoping that authorities will be able to establish the couple’s whereabouts and confirm that they are safe. Ashna and Shreya Auja, daughters of the missing couple, said, “It was dad’s 60th birthday. Being a spiritual person, he wanted to celebrate it there.”
“They were coming home and were at the immigration centre when the flood came. I had spoken to them only 1.5 hours before and they were just about to exit the border,” said Shreya Ahuja, a Texas resident.
Ashna added, “We both received an e-mail from Isha Foundation saying that the floods have hit and that our parents were in a group at the immigration centre at the China-Nepal border.”
