No matter the choice of lights this year, Kathmandu is set to celebrate Tihar with zest  

Kathmandu

With, Tihar here, and buildings and houses all over the city putting up a show of lights, the denizens of Kathmandu Valley are on their way to celebrate the festival in all gusto.

The festival of lights, as Tihar is most commonly known as, is a beautiful spectacle of colourful lights and flowers.  An abundance of multi-coloured LED lights are available in the market, and Tihar for the most part of recent years has been a demonstration of such lights. “The first choice, when it comes to Tihar lights, is obviously LED lights. From the traditional diyos, people have opted to use LED lights more and more every year. Also, with the ever-increasing load shedding, LED lights easily become a better option,” says Ganga Prasad Kandel, proprietor of Siddhibinayak Electronics.

LED lights have double-filament bulbs; they last longer and consume less electricity as compared to normal lamps. Among the lights that are most in demand currently are rope lights, pipe lights, star lights and heart lights.

Popular markets like Ason, Indra Chowk, Putalisadak, Mahaboudha, Kamaladi, Sundhara, and Bhotey Baahal are flooded with LED lights this time of the year for the festivities, with Chinese products taking up most of the market share, nearly 90 per cent, say traders.  The prices of home decoration lights range from Rs 120 to Rs 1,000 whereas the price of other lights starts from Rs 2,000 to Rs 4, 50,000.

“Mainly home decoration lights are available during the Tihar season while chandeliers, wall lamps, ceiling lamps and regular light fittings are available throughout the year,” says Ashish Goyal, proprietor of Mega Lights. “The sales have definitely been better this year than previous year as last year the sales were disrupted by the border blockade,” he adds. Talking about any Tihar offers and special discounts, Goyal says, “Currently we are not offering any special discounts for the festive season but we will be offering 50 per cent flat discount on all products soon.”

“Tihar is the most important time to celebrate and appreciate life. As a designer, I think decorating your house with diyos result in a more aesthetically pleasing ambience.  Of course, LED lights are more convenient and modern. But decorating your house with the lights of diyos emits positivity everywhere. Because diyos are made of mud it signifies purity and a connection with Mother Nature,” says Binita Agrawal, a freelance interior designer and the Technical Head at Godrej Interiors and Spacehood Nepal. “On a regular day, a particular corner is illuminated with lights but on Tihar, it is imperative that you decorate each and every corner including the balconies, your front gate, your kitchen, yard et cetera. If traditional diyos are a hassle then you can even use various lamps and electric diyos available in the market.”

Tihar is about celebration and no matter the choice of lights this season, it is bound to be delightful. With the market flooded with options you have a wide variety to choose from.