The people of Nepal have marked the first anniversary of the massacre of the royal family with prayer ceremonies across the kingdom.

There was no official ceremony to mark the occasion - the royal family is to hold formal ceremonies later this month in line with the Nepali calendar.

King Birendra: Gunned down by son

However, dozens of people offered their respects at the royal palace in Kathmandu and rituals were observed at Hindu temples.

The massacre of King Birendra and eight other royals by the then Crown Prince Dipendra - apparently high on drink and drugs - shocked the Himalayan kingdom deeply.

Tributes

People from a cross-section of society have held separate social, religious and cultural ceremonies to pay tribute to the slain king.

School children lit lamps and made offerings to a portrait of the monarch.

Newspapers have brought out supplements while radio and television have broadcast special programmes featuring his life and works.

People have also been queuing to see a special exhibition in Kathmandu of photographs of the late king by the royal physician, Khagendra Bahadur Shrestha.

The BBC's Sushil Sharma in Kathmandu says the palace massacre was seen as a major blow to Nepal's future, as it threatened to tarnish the traditional image of the monarchy as a symbol of national unity.

It also cast a shadow over the credibility of an institution that has endured many challenges over the years in trying to maintain the independence of Nepal, sandwiched between its much bigger neighbours, India and China.