Around 56,000 people left Kathmandu Valley within 24 hours to celebrate Dashain, according to reports on October 13, 2026, as people who had come to the capital for study, employment, professions and businesses returned to their villages ahead of the festival.
Dashain travel from Kathmandu Valley
The reported departures reflect a large movement of people leaving the capital for the annual festival. Those heading home include people who live in Kathmandu Valley for different reasons, including education, work and business. They are travelling back to their villages in large numbers as Dashain approaches.
The figure of around 56,000 covers the 24-hour period cited in the reports. The available information does not specify the exact start and end times for that period, or provide a breakdown of travellers by destination, occupation or mode of transport.
People return to their villages for the festival
Many of those leaving had come to the capital for study, employment or other professional and business activities. Their departure brings together people with different reasons for living in Kathmandu Valley, but with a shared plan to celebrate Dashain in their villages.
The reports describe the movement as a return home ahead of the festival. They do not provide further details about travel conditions, transport services or the number of people expected to leave in the days that follow. The reported total therefore captures the departures within the stated 24-hour period, rather than a broader count of Dashain travel.
Dashain is the occasion prompting this journey for the people included in the reports. As they head to their villages, the movement marks a period when residents who have settled in the capital for study, work and business travel away to spend the festival at home.
