Key Takeaways:

• Dhankuta's traditional weekly markets continue despite urban growth
• Markets that began about 140 years ago remain important trading centres
• Farmers still use the bazaars to sell produce directly to consumers
• Local governments view weekly markets as both economic and cultural assets
• Markets now combine traditional farm trade with modern consumer goods

DHANKUTA, NOVEMBER 6 Despite the growth of permanent shops, supermarkets and road connectivity across Dhankuta, traditional weekly markets that began more than a century ago continue to play a central role in local commerce, linking farmers directly with consumers and preserving a long-standing rural trading culture. Established around 140 years ago when shops were scarce and transportation was limited, the weekly markets originally served as centres where villagers exchanged agricultural produce and livestock for essential household goods. While barter has largely disappeared, the markets remain popular gathering places for trade and social interaction. The Thursday market in Dhankuta Bazaar, one of the district's oldest marketplaces, continues to attract vendors and shoppers from surrounding villages. Elderly residents recall the days when farmers carried crops and livestock on foot across difficult terrain to reach the market. 'People used to exchange goods according to their needs,' said Gauri Shrestha, 85. 'Now transactions are mostly based on money, but the market continues to bring people together.' Although urban centres in the district now have vegetable marts, retail shops and mini-markets, weekly bazaars still offer fresh produce, livestock and household goods through temporary stalls often set up in open spaces. The tradition extends beyond the district headquarters. Weekly markets continue to operate in settlements including Hile, Thalthale, Panchami, Jitpur, Chitre, Ram Bazaar, Sindhuwa, Kajimane, Pakhribas, Chandibazaar, Khudibari, Dandabazaar, Rajarani, Budhabare, Tokromba and Budhuk. Local governments say the markets remain important not only for consumers but also for municipal revenue and rural livelihoods. Pakhribas Mayor Gyan Bahadur Gurung said weekly markets allow residents to buy enough household supplies for the week while giving farmers direct access to buyers. 'The markets remain popular because consumers can purchase fresh products directly from farmers at affordable prices,' he said. Improved road access and expanding retail networks have changed rural commerce across Dhankuta, but local governments have increasingly supported weekly markets as a way to keep economic activity closer to villages and provide farmers with better market access. Today's markets offer far more than agricultural produce. Alongside vegetables, grains and livestock, shoppers can buy clothing, footwear, household items and cosmetics, bringing urban goods within reach of rural communities. For many residents, the weekly market continues to serve the same essential purpose it did generations ago: connecting rural producers with consumers while sustaining a tradition that has survived decades of social and economic change.