A DAY of multi-faith prayers is being planned in support of an orphaned girl from Southampton whose parents died in the India bus crash.

Ananya Nawarkhele has been transferred to a leading hospital in Delhi but remains seriously ill as her family keep a bedside vigil.

The nine-year-old has undergone three operations since being rescued from the wreckage of the crash which claimed the lives of parents Roopesh and Kavita.

Now Southampton’s Hindu community is planning a multifaith vigil enabling friends and colleagues to pray for the girl and grieve for the couple.

The event, which is yet to be finalised, is being earmarked for 11am on Sunday, September 7 at the city’s Vedic Hindu Temple, in Radcliffe Road, where the couple worshipped.

The plans came as the youngster was yesterday moved to hospital in the Indian capital after being cared for in Chandigarh, in the Punjab state, near where the crash happened.

She is likely to be in hospital for at least two months.

One of the close family friends organising the prayer meeting is Amol Khamkar, who first met Roopesh while at University in their native India. He said: “The couple have friends from many backgrounds, so a multi-faith meeting will be held for everyone to come together with prayers from different religions.”

As previously reported, the family, from Bitterne, had travelled to India for a holiday when the bus they were travelling in overturned after colliding in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Tributes have continued to flood in for the couple who were well known in the community.

Roopesh, 38, was a senior social worker at Southampton City Council, where bosses paid their respects by lowering the flag on Tuesday.

Kavita, 37, who previously worked at the Sunshine Day Nursery in Shirley, presented a regular show on the city’s community radio station Unity 101.

Others paying tribute were staff at Ananya’s private weekend maths tuition class.

Principal Andrew Kuttner said: “Ananya is a delightful girl. We are hoping she makes a speedy recovery.”