Millions of dollars’ worth of bananas are brought to Nepal for Chhath Puja from India

For the Chhath festival, ponds and riverbanks in the Terai and Kathmandu valley were cleaned

INN/Kathmanu, @Infodeaofficial

In preparation for the Chhath festival, the ponds and riverbanks in the Kathmandu Valley and Terai are being cleaned and adorned. The best locations in the Kathmandu Valley for chhath puja are Kamalpokhari and Gaurighat beside the Bagmati River.

Chhath puja is commonly performed at ponds in Madhesh Pradesh, including Ranighat, Nagawapokhari, Chhapakaiya Pokhari, Dashrath Pokhari, and others. This year, November 7 is the Chhath festival’s major day. In honour of the anniversary, the government has also declared a public holiday.

Through the Raxaul border post, around 1.7 lakh kg of bananas valued at INR 1.7 crore were imported into Nepal over this festive season. During the same time period, almost 4000 kg of bananas were imported via Janakpur’s Bhitta Mod Point. For those celebrating the Chhath celebration, bananas are seen as essential.

There is a need to import from neighbouring India because the local output is insufficient. Janakpurdham imports a variety of bananas from Assam, West Bengal, Hajipur, Thakurganj, and Champaran. In the Kathmandu Valley, a single banana cost NPR 16–18. According to traders, bananas from India are more affordable than those grown in Nepal.