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Shoppers throng Ason ahead of Tihar festival
With the Tihar festival fast approaching, shoppers throng Ason for last minute shopping, from lights, flowers, rangoli colours, clay pot lamps to decorative items.Krishana Prasain
With the Tihar festival fast approaching, shoppers throng Ason for last minute shopping, from lights, flowers, rangoli colours, clay pot lamps to decorative items.
And with its status as a major shopping destination secured, there are no shortage of willing buyers even though the price of goods has increased by up to 15 percent this year. Prices of goods have risen steadily due to the raise in taxes and fuel prices
Most of the goods sold in Ason are imported from India, said a trader. However, the high price has not affected sales as people continue to splurge during the festive period.
Lights, flowers, rangoli colour, clay pot lamp, paper and plastic decorative items, Dhaka topi, candles, pan and broom are among best selling items during Tihar.
However, the rising prices of natural flowers have seen more customers buying artificial flowers instead.
Nani Maharjan opted to purchase garlands made with artificial flowers, citing the much cheaper price compared to natural flower and that they could be reused.
The price of artificial flower garland ranges from Rs100 to Rs300 for one and half metre, in most retail shops at Ason. The artificial flowers are being imported from India.
Sujan Sapkota, an artificial flower seller at Ason has been running the shop for 25 years. The market of artificial flower has been trending upwards in the past few years, he said. With the surge in demand, the prices of artificial flower have also increased by five to 10 percent this year. Sapkota is selling flowers worth around Rs10,000 per day during the festive season. Similarly, rangoli colours is another highly sought after item during Tihar. The prices of the rangoli colours range from Rs100 to Rs250 for 200 grams depending on the quality, said a seller.
Dhaka topi, a traditional cap worn by men at Bhai Tika has also increased by Rs10 to Rs50 this year. The prices of Dhaka topi range from Rs150 to Rs450 according to the quality, said Radhika Kharel, a Dhaka topi seller at Ason. “Most of our stock is brought from Palpa and Dharan,” she said.
Meanwhile, simple clay pot lamps has been priced at Rs30 to Rs35 per dozen while decorative ones cost Rs220 per dozen.
Likewise, iron pan used to cook sel-roti, a traditional Nepali doughnut is available at Rs900 to Rs13,000. The pan is manufactured at Birgunj, said a shopkeeper, adding, he has been selling more than 30 pieces per day during Tihar.
Similarly, a pair of brooms cost Rs150. The brooms are brought from Banepa.