Tihar Festival Sees Significant Spending on Imported Goods

Kathmandu. The festival of light and flowers, Tihar, is celebrated immediately after the hustle and bustle of Dashain in the Nepali market. Similar to Dashain, Tihar also sees a surge in customers buying new clothes, shoes, bhai-masala, fruits, flower garlands, and sweets. Shops are filled with Tihar-targeted goods, and traders prepare for the year's most important business season. Tihar is not just a festival of light and flowers; it is also a festival of exchanging gifts and family reunions. Shopping for Tihar, which begins after Dashain, has seen high turnover from daily necessities to expensive gifts and electronic items. Especially, clothes, Dhaka topi, bhai-masala, and other gifts that sisters give to their brothers on Bhai Tika bring a special charm to the market. However, a bitter reality of the Nepali economy also comes along. Most of the goods needed for this festival are imported from abroad. Customs Department data shows that a large portion of the festival expenses, from bhai-masala to the sparkling lights for Lakshmi Puja and even sugar and coconut used in sweets, flows across the border. Based on last year's market activity, this year's demand, and Customs Department data, the top 10 items with the highest sales and consumption during Tihar, and the amount of money flowing out for them, are significant.

Bhai-masala and Dry Fruits: Highest Consumption, Highest Import