KATHMANDU, Sept 26: Most of the Nepali people could not return to their homes to celebrate Dashain with open hearts for two years due to COVID-19 pandemic.

As the fear of COVID-19 has subsided now, it is estimated that the number of people returning to their homes to celebrate Dashain will increase this year compared to last year. Due to the COVID-19, they seemed very reluctant to take the risk to celebrate Dashain. 

It is expected that the number of people who return to their villages on Dashain will increase because the impact of COVID-19 is less this year compared to previous years. Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajendra Prasad Bhatt said that this year many people may go out of the valley to celebrate Dashain openly as they could not do it in the last two years. "Last year, only about 700,000 passengers went out of the valley to celebrate festivals including Dashain," he said.

SSP Bhatt said that most of the schools and colleges will be closed from Monday so the number of passengers leaving the valley will increase. "Since school/college holidays will start with Ghatasthapana, the rush to celebrate Dashain will start now," he said.

According to the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Office, the number of passengers leaving Kathmandu is 52,000 and the number of passengers entering Kathmandu is 45,000. From the day of Phulpati, the number of passengers entering and exiting the valley will increase rapidly.

Sunil Kunwar, Managing Director of Lhotse Multipurpose Pvt Ltd, which is managing and operating Gongabu Bus Park, said that the number of passengers booking tickets in advance for Dashain is increasing.

"68,000 passengers have booked tickets in advance till September 24," he said, "Most of the passengers have booked their tickets between September 28 and October 1." Currently, more than 10,000 passengers are booking tickets in advance at the new bus park every day.

 
• Dashain
 
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