Prince Harry received a warm welcome upon his arrival in Nepal on the weekend, where he was greeted by five virgins.
Prince Harry began his five-day official trip to Nepal on Saturday, meeting with the prime minister and attending a ceremony to mark 200 years of relations between the two nations.
Hundreds of people cheered as the 31-year-old prince came out of Kathmandu’s airport. He later met with Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli at his official residence and attended a ceremony hosted by Nepal’s government.
On Sunday, the prince was given a tour of the damaged historical sites of Kathmandu that was rocked by an earthquake last April, which killed nearly 9,000 people.
Prince Harry was given a traditional welcome at Patan Durbar Square and was greeted by the Panchakanya, the five virgins of Hindu scripture.
Dressed in traditional garb, the women presented the prince with flowers and a garland at the UNESCO World Heritage site.
According to Britain’s Daily Mail one of the young women who greeted the prince said she “freaked out” during the ceremony.
“I’ve seen him before on television, I was really excited about meeting him and was wondering what he would be like,” the newspaper quoted the 18-year-old as saying. “We freaked out when he was in front of us but it was a really happy moment.”
“We welcome him with open hearts to Nepal and hope he enjoys his visit,” Alisha Awale said.
The prince met with local artisans and apprentices who are working to restore the heavily damaged ancient city.
Prince Harry also spent time with Nepal Red Cross at a camp from families who lost their homes during the earthquake.
Harry talked to families living in the camp at Bhaktapur, just east of the capital, Kathmandu, inquiring about the living conditions.
About 60 families have been living in tents at the camp for nearly a year and remain uncertain about when they’ll receive government assistance to rebuild their houses, according to The Associated Press.
–with files from The Associated Press
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