Ceremony of purity welcomes Prince Harry on visit to Nepal
PRINCE Harry’s visit to Nepal began with a ceremony signifying luck and purity – a welcome from five virgins.
The young women greeted their special guest with gifts of flowers and placed a garland around his neck.
The Panchakanya – five virgins in Sanskrit – welcomed Harry to Kathmandu’s world famous Durbar Square in the traditional heart of the capital city’s old town.
Signs of the devastating earthquake that claimed almost 9,000 lives in Nepal last April could be seen across the site of ancient temples, palaces and towers dating back centuries.
Props supported the walls of many of the intricately carved wooden and brick buildings while piles of neatly stacked bricks marked the spot where walls or other monuments had collapsed.
When Harry first arrived he walked up to the group of five young women – a lucky number in Nepalese culture – with their status as virgins representing purity.
He accepted their gifts with a smile before heading off for a tour of the area designated a Unesco World Heritage site.
Alisha Awale, 18, one of the five who welcomed the Prince, said: “I’ve seen him before on television, I was really excited about meeting him and was wondering what he would be like. We welcome him with open hearts to Nepal and hope he enjoys his visit.”
Harry is on a five-day visit to Nepal which he hopes will “shine a light” on the country as it rebuilds after the earthquake.
His tour of Durbar Square in Patan district gave the Prince the chance to see the restoration work already begun and he even tried his hand at wood carving.