Kathmandu in Dashain: A Different Side of the City

There is something different about Kathmandu during Dashain

The roads that are usually crowded with vehicles, the streets filled with noise, and the daily rush that seems never to stop — all of it begins to feel a little different during the festival. The city slows down, the roads open up, and for a moment, Kathmandu feels like it has finally found some room to breathe.

I took a short ride through the city during Dashain and found myself noticing something simple: the peace of an ordinary road when it isn’t overwhelmed by traffic.

A quieter Kathmandu

Kathmandu is a city of contrasts. It is full of life, opportunities, culture, and energy, but it is also a city where traffic congestion, dust, noise, and crowded streets have become part of everyday life.

During Dashain, many people leave the Valley to celebrate with their families in their hometowns and villages. Businesses close for the holidays, daily routines change, and the roads become noticeably quieter.

You can travel through familiar places without the usual rush. You can notice the trees along the road, the open sky, the surroundings, and the small details that are easy to miss when you are busy getting from one place to another.

Sometimes, a familiar city can feel like a completely different place simply because we experience it at a different pace.

Clean roads, open spaces, and a little peace

What stood out to me was the feeling of space. The roads looked more open, the surroundings felt calmer, and the journey itself became more enjoyable.

It made me think about how much our surroundings influence our everyday experience. We often talk about development in terms of buildings, infrastructure, and technology, but the quality of a city is also reflected in something much simpler: how it feels to live in it.

Clean streets, manageable traffic, fresh surroundings, and public spaces that people can enjoy should not be occasional luxuries. They should be part of everyday urban life.

Of course, a quieter Kathmandu during Dashain is not the same as solving the city’s traffic and environmental challenges. But it gives us a glimpse of what a less congested and more comfortable city might feel like.

A small moment worth noticing

Perhaps that is what I liked most about this short ride. It was not about visiting a famous destination or doing something extraordinary. It was simply about experiencing a familiar place differently.

Living in a city can make us accustomed to its problems. We complain about traffic, adjust to the noise, and accept the dust as part of our routine. Eventually, we stop noticing how much these things affect us.

Then a festival arrives, the roads become quieter, and we are reminded that things can feel different.

Kathmandu during Dashain offers a small pause from the usual rhythm of urban life. For me, it was a reminder to slow down, observe my surroundings, and appreciate the simple things we often overlook.

Sometimes, all it takes is a quieter road to see a familiar city in a new light.

Happy Dashain!

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Captured in Kathmandu during Dashain.