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Festivals can be demanding and Tihar is one that puts extra pressure on us to clean, host, and participate in rituals. There is a lot to do and sometimes not enough hands to get it all done. This is probably one reason why Tihar celebrations begin much before the actual event. Families have time to host guests and then move on to the heavier stuff of cleaning and pujas if they start celebrating a week or even two in advance. But does that mean the week-long festivities have to be a whirlwind of chores? It can be a fun affair with family, friends, and your community if you are up to trying something different this year. We can assure you that it will take the tension off Tihar.

Host a community lunch/dinner

In the week leading up to Tihar, which is this very week, try to get your neighbors and community together by suggesting a pot luck lunch or dinner to usher in the festivities. It will be a great way to kickstart a wonderful few days of celebrations and you will also put an end to the need to entertain people separately. It’s a great way to come together and bond as well while reducing unnecessary pressure.

Consider shared rangoli and decor

In the same vein as above, how does your community feel about coming together to decorate your neighborhood? Instead of installing individual lights and decor, you could all pitch in to deck up your lane and do so together. It will get the work done faster and make it more fun as well. Sometimes, all you need is for someone to suggest it to make it happen. And it actually feels a lot more festive than individually decorated homes.

Harness the flower power

One of the best things about Tihar is all the flower decorations we tend to do. But it’s also one of the most taxing. Instead of stringing flowers into garlands why not make use of vases and planters? Simply get sayapatri plants from your local nursery and transfer them into small pots and place these by your doorsteps. You can also get bunches of these flowers from different street vendors and display them interestingly in large vases peppered around the house.

Use urns and candlestands

Most of us light diyos or oil lamps during Tihar. This requires a lot of pre planning as well as post use clean up that takes up a lot of time. Use urns to light floating candles and make use of whatever candlestands you have lying around the house to create a visually interesting display of light. These are easy to set up and put away as well. You can also make use of old bottles in place of candlestands. Vases can also be turned upside down to create interesting candle displays.

Make it a family affair

Oftentimes, we tend to break up household chores among family members and go about our separate ways but there’s a lot of fun to be had if we do things as a group. Put on some good music and get cleaning and organizing together as a family. Turn chores into a game. See who can finish something faster and do it better. Have a small prize ready. You will get things done faster and it will not feel like work either. It also helps if you have a cut off time. Fix a time by which you must finish the work or take small tea or game breaks in between. 

If there is one place that is as busy as the bus stops and airports during Dashain, it’s the ‘mithai pasals’ during Tihar. Crowded and cramped, teeming with people jostling with one another to get their hands on some of the scrumptious looking orange ladoos, regal pale pedas topped with pistachios, and some piping hot lal mohan, mithai pasals perhaps do majority of their business during this season. 

Tihar is when you are offered sweets everywhere you go and you also tend to have a few boxes of treats stocked up in the fridge (that you end up gorging on as well eventually). No wonder most of us put on a few extra kilos this season, having indulged in all that sugary goodness. 

This time, however, we are trying to make our Tihar treats healthy and hearty and have already tested some recipes. Made mostly with dates, nuts, and seeds, these delicious delights are sure to make your guests happy and keep your clothes from feeling a little too tight around the waist once the festivities are over.

Date balls

These are easy to make and require absolutely no baking. All you need to do is dry roast some nuts like almonds, cashews, and walnuts along with some seeds like pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Coarsely grind them in the mixture and set aside. Remove the pits of some soft dates and soften them up further by placing them in boiling hot water before mashing them into a pulp. Add the seed and nut mixture to it and roll into small balls. Once done, dust some coconut powder on them and keep them in the freezer in an airtight container.

Cashew bites

If you found the date balls easy to make, then this will turn out to be even simpler. Dry roast cashews and makhana together and grind them into a coarse texture. Make a syrup by melting jaggery in a pot and pour this on the cashew mix. Spread this out on a flat tray ensuring it’s not more than an inch thick. Top with cocoa nibs. Let it set in the freezer for an hour before taking it out and cutting it into bite sized pieces. You can store this in the fridge for up to a week. And they taste a little like your favorite kaju katli.

Makhana custard

This simple recipe can be whipped up in minutes and is sure to make your guests praise your skills. Serve it chilled and topped with fruits for an ice-cream-like rich feel. Soak makhana, sunflower seeds, almonds, and a few cardamoms along with kesar and a tablespoon of honey in two cups of milk. Let it sit for 30 minutes before blending the mixture. Dry roast some vermicelli and add this into the mixture. You can then add some fruits of your choice to it as well. We liked the texture and flavor of pomegranate, cut grapes and apples, and a thinly sliced banana.

Single serve brownie

This is a great recipe for a small individual dessert that can be made with a few ingredients and in no time at all. You need some oven or microwave safe small bowls so make sure you have those handy. The recipe we are sharing makes enough for three people so just tweak the recipe accordingly to accommodate the number of guests you have. In a large bowl, break three eggs and add three tablespoons of cocoa powder to it. Add two cups of sweetened yogurt and give it a good mix. Pour the batter into individual bowls and bake at medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes. To make a glaze, mix some honey with cocoa and water and spread it on top of the brownies when they are cool enough.

Mango madness

Not everyone likes the traditional sweets with a lot of nuts and seeds, and this recipe is perfect for those people as this tastes and feels like mango cheesecake. Grind some digestive biscuits and add some butter to it. Spread this at the bottom of a medium sized container ensuring the thickness is the same throughout. Blend paneer along with some hung curd and a little bit of honey. Once it’s blended into a smooth paste, mix some cut mangos in it and spread it over the biscuit mixture. Top this with some mango puree and keep it in the fridge for at least three to four hours before serving. Cut it into small squares before serving.

The Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City has imposed a complete ban on the production, sale and distribution of plastic bouquets, flowers and garlands.

Issuing a notice, the sub-metropolitan city said it took the decision to encourage the production of flowers in the local market. The sub-metropolitan city has warned that whoever violates the order would be booked.

Chief Administrative Officer of Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City Bharat Gautam said that it was the responsibility of all citizens to produce, promote and use the natural flowers in the local market, while urging that use of natural flowers was equally environmentally-friendly besides its economic gains.

Meanwhile, 113 fugitives who fled the jail after the Gen-Z protests have returned to the Regional Prison in Bhimphedi in the district, Chief of Bhimphedi Prison Subas Paudel said.

The prison administration shared that a total of 325 inmates have returned to the jails including the Bhimphedi Prison as of this morning.

The Palestinian group Hamas handed over Bipin Joshi's body to Israel.

Hamas handed over the bodies of four people, including Joshi, to Israel through the Red Cross on Monday night, the Times of Israel reported.

Bipin Joshi's status was unknown until the day the hostages were released.

ALSO READ:Bipin Joshi confirmed dead after two years

Israel had not confirmed Joshi's death earlier.

The terror group handed over the bodies of Nepali national Bipin Joshi and Israeli citizens Gully Illouz, Yossi Sharabi and Daniel Perez.

Hamas has not yet handed over the bodies of 24 dead hostages as per the agreement.

The Bailey bridge being built by China at Lende Khola along the Nepal–China border in Rasuwagadhi has reached its final stage, raising hopes that the key Rasuwagadhi–Kerung trade point will reopen within two weeks. According to officials, all construction works are being carried out by the Chinese side. 

On Sunday, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song shared a video on X showing the under-construction bridge with the caption “Pushing Ahead”, indicating that China was making maximum efforts to bring the vital trade route in operation at the earliest. 

The bridge will span 90 meters and have a load-bearing capacity of 55 tons. The approach road on the Chinese side has already been completed, while around 20 meters of approach road on the Nepali side needs to be built. Officials say the construction of the approach road will begin once the bridge installation work is complete.

The Bailey bridge is being constructed as the 100-meter-long Miteri (Friendship) Bridge was swept away by floods on July 8. The floods cut off the major trade link with China, bringing bilateral trade to a halt ahead of the major festive season.

Nepal imported goods worth nearly Rs 80bn through the Rasuwagadhi Customs Office during the first 11 months of 2024/25. The imports generated Rs 28.71bn in revenue for the government. With containers stranded on both sides of the border, much of Nepal–China trade shifted to the Tatopani border in Sindhupalchowk. However, that crossing was also closed soon after, following landslides that blocked the Araniko Highway. As a result, traders were forced to import goods from China via Mustang’s Korala border—a detour that added both time and cost.

The closure of the two northern border points hit automobile distributors particularly hard. Many had received significant bookings for China-made vehicles during the NAIMA Nepal Mobility Expo and NADA Auto Show for delivery before the Dashain festival. The shutdown forced distributors to bring electric vehicles (EVs) through the Korala border, even though it incurred additional costs and delays.

China began constructing the Bailey bridge soon after the July floods. Nepali customs officials expect the bridge and the trade route to be ready for operation around the Tihar festival, which begins next week.

Meanwhile, officials say multiple sections of the Pasang Lhamu Highway—the only road link to the Rasuwagadhi border point—that were disrupted by floods and landslides will be operational by the time the bridge construction is completed. Although smaller vehicles are now plying the route, the Syafrubesi–Rasuwagadhi section remains closed to larger trucks.

Finance Minister Rameshwore Prasad Khanal, who is in the USA to attend the annual meetings of the World Bank Group of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), addressed the Business Dialogue of the US Chamber of Commerce on Monday.

Organized by the US Chamber of Commerce, Minister Khanal addressed the dialogue named 'From the Himalayas to the Heartland: Strengthening US-Nepal Partnership'.  

During the event, Nepal's Ambassador to the USA Lok Darshan Regmi, other officials of the Embassy of Nepal, and the members of the US Chamber of Commerce were present.

Meanwhile, Minister Khanal held a meeting with Deputy Managing Director of IMF Bo Li on Monday. 

According to the Embassy of Nepal in Washington DC, issues of economic cooperation were discussed.

Present on the occasion were Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) Dr Bishwanath Paudel, officials of Nepal Embassy, officials of the IMF and others.

Minister Khanal arrived in Washington DC on Sunday to take part in the annual meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The weather will remain partly cloudy in the hilly areas of Koshi, Gandaki and Sudurpaschim Provinces and mainly fair in the rest of the country.

Light rain is likely to occur at one or two places in the hilly region of Koshi Province.

According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the weather tonight will also remain mainly fair throughout the country. There is no substantial effect of the monsoon system across the country.

Finance Minister Rameshwore Prasad Khanal and Regional Vice President of the World Bank Group Johannes Jatt held a meeting in Washington DC on Monday.

During the meeting, they reviewed the ongoing World Bank-supported projects in Nepal and held discussions about the possibilities of cooperation and partnership in the future, according to the Embassy of Nepal in Washington DC.

Nepal's Ambassador to the USA Lok Darshan Regmi, other officials of the Embassy of Nepal, members of Minister Khanal's delegation and officials of different projects of the World Bank Group were present on the occasion.

Minister Khanal arrived in Washington DC on Sunday to take part in the annual meeting of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund (IMF).