For Srijana Ghimire of ward 3 in Banganga Municipality of Kapilvastu, Tihar means an unending demand for marigold garlands. Each day, she and her team of three women spend hours threading marigold blooms into garlands. In the past 12 days, she says, she has sold over 2,000 garlands.

Ghimire’s marigold business is a coordinated effort: two young men pick the flowers from her 1,690 square metres field, and the rest of the team weaves them into garlands from morning until evening. This season alone, she has sold garlands worth Rs150,000 and flowers for over Rs100,000, with flowers still awaiting harvest.

Targeting the Tihar and wedding season, Ghimire has cultivated the ‘Marigold 555’ variety for two years now, making use of paddy land for cultivation. As the demand for festive flowers rises, she sees a reliable source of income in her marigold field each Tihar.