Dharan. With the beginning of Tihar, the streets of Dharan have not only been illuminated but have also become lively due to the hard work of the traders. The market starts in the morning and continues till evening.

Bikki Das of Dharan Sub-metropolis-2 has been selling raisins, coconut, sweets, twinkling lamps and abir packets from 5:00 am to 8:00 pm in the main market Bhanu Chowk Ghantaghar area. He said, “More people come in the morning and evening. Since it is hot in the afternoon, fewer customers come. Currently, the transaction is between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000 per day. ’

At present, hundreds of traders are busy on every street of the market. The market is full of colours, fragrance and glitter due to the sale of lamps, colours, sweets, raisins, earthen pots for worship, lamps and other items required during the festival.

The streets of Dharan are now glowing with the festivities of Tihar. The number of small traders in the main market, which sells sweets, raisins, diyas and abir, is high. Local traders are earning up to Rs 20,000 a day.

On the occasion of Tihar, twinkling lights are seen everywhere. People are flocking to shop. The market is filled with lamps, sweets, spices and flowers. Tihar, which is the second biggest festival of Nepalis after Dashain, is taken as a festival of flowers, garlands, colors and lights along with musical festivals.

Lamp entrepreneur Niraj Koirala said, “Lately, the tradition of lighting traditional lamps has become extinct. The demand for modern twinkling lamps is high, so the sales are high. According to him, consumers are now flocking to electric shops and various retail shops in the market. He said that although the sale is low during other festivals and wedding seasons, the sale is high during the Tihar season.

People are inundated with people buying and selling lamps, garlands and other items at Dharan’s main bazaar, Bhanu Chowk, Sabzi Mandir, Purano Bazaar, among others. Koirala said that the traders have been bringing goods to sell the twinkling lamps a few months before the Tihar festival.

Gopal Shrestha, president of Sunsari Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the small traders have got the opportunity to earn a lot by opening their stalls from morning to evening.

He said, “The biggest challenge while running shops during Tihar, especially on the pavements and alleys, is crowd and road management. Sometimes the crowd makes it difficult to get around the shop. At this time, the association is working with the administration to keep the market organized and safe, which will give traders the opportunity to grow their business. ’

He said that initiatives are being taken to ensure the safety of both customers and traders by proper arrangement of shops on the road, crowd management and enforcement of safety standards. He said that the association has been active to increase business opportunities and facilitate customers through market publicity, business promotion training and subsidized support programs.

Small traders are working the occasion of Tihar. This time is critical to running the city’s small economy. “With the increase in the number of customers, the enthusiasm of the traders also increases and they are able to raise their income,” Shrestha said.