Dashain shopping: Asan-New Road crowded, Nepalgunj busier than cross-border town

As Dashain holidays are about to begin, Kathmandu's main markets are filled with shoppers, while Nepalgunj in Banke is seeing more foot traffic than the cross-border town for the first time.

This year's Dashain holiday runs more than a week, and most offices have begun closing. On the eve of the holidays, crowds of customers have been seen in the Asan-Indrachowk, New Road and Mahabouddha areas of Kathmandu until late at night.

Footpath markets in the Dharahara and New Road areas have seen rising crowds buying clothes and footwear. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has allowed footpath vendors to open only after 7:30 pm. Because goods are cheaper there, budget-conscious customers are drawn to the footpath markets.

Meanwhile, Rupaidiha market across the border in India — which has drawn crowds of Nepali shoppers during past festivals — is deserted this time, while business in Nepalgunj market is doing well. Since the government tightened restrictions some months ago on bringing Indian goods through the border point, fewer Nepalis are crossing just to shop.

Shailesh Jaiswal, municipal president of the Rupaidiha Industry and Trade Representative Council, said Nepali customers have stopped coming because they are not allowed to carry goods through the checkpoint. According to him, until last year, shoppers from Banke, Bardiya, Surkhet and Dang would crowd into Rupaidiha a month before major festivals, but this year fewer Nepalis are coming for Dashain shopping.