Kathmandu’s Kalanki goat market has remained unusually quiet as Dashain approaches, with fewer shoppers arriving to buy goats and he-goats than traders expected. The market, which typically sees activity rise ahead of the festival, was largely deserted this year, according to traders and reports from the site. Sellers said the anticipated number of customers had not materialised, leaving the seasonal marketplace without its usual pre-Dashain bustle.
Expected festival rush has not arrived
The subdued scene marks a contrast with the customary pattern at Kalanki, where activity generally increases as Dashain nears. Families looking to buy animals for the festival are usually part of that seasonal demand, but traders said the number of people coming to purchase goats and he-goats remained lower than expected this year. The gap between the anticipated crowd and the shoppers who actually arrived was apparent across the market, which was described as largely deserted.
For traders, the approach of Dashain had brought expectations of more customers. Instead, they found the market quiet during a period when buying activity would normally be picking up. Their accounts point to a clear change in the market’s atmosphere: the festival is approaching, but the expected customer flow has not followed the usual pattern.
The reports from Kalanki focus on the lack of shoppers rather than a shortage of animals. Traders specifically said that expected customers did not come to buy goats and he-goats. The available information does not establish why buyers stayed away, nor does it provide figures comparing this year’s customer numbers with previous years. No explanation for the quieter market was offered in the reported accounts.
A subdued scene at a seasonal marketplace
Kalanki’s market activity is closely tied, in the reports, to the approach of Dashain. As the festival draws near, the marketplace usually becomes more active. This year, however, that expected seasonal increase has been missing. The resulting quiet has made the market stand out from the busier conditions traders normally anticipate during the period before the festival.
The scene also reflects the difference between what sellers had expected and what they experienced. Traders were looking for the customary rise in people buying animals for Dashain, but said that demand from shoppers had not materialised. With fewer buyers appearing, the market remained largely empty rather than developing into the lively trading scene associated with the festival period.
The reports do not specify how many goats were available, how many were sold, or whether prices changed. They also provide no information about whether customers shifted to other markets or made purchases through different channels. What they do establish is that the expected crowd at Kalanki did not arrive and that activity there was markedly subdued compared with the increase usually seen as Dashain approaches.
For now, the central story from Kalanki is the absence of the festival rush traders had counted on. The market remains a recognised place for buying goats and he-goats ahead of Dashain, but this year’s reported conditions have been quiet, with sellers waiting for customers who, according to traders, have not come in the expected numbers.
