Curio vendors of Basantapur struggle for survival

BY AAJ JYOTI  Kathmandu, July 14: Binita Tamang, 34, has been selling curio and jewellery at Basantapur for eight years. Nearly 20 others like Tamang have been making their living by holding stalls in the same area. 

For years, the streets of Kathmandu Durbar Square have been occupied by a plethora of shops, all selling a variety of goods. Basantapur has become a competitive market on which many families survive. 

But all is not well with the curio sellers for the last couple of years. 

Tamang blames the lack of diversity between shops as a reason for being unable to sell large quantities frequently, hindering her earning potential. 

Her kiosk deals in jewellery, artefact  replicas and miniature statues, along with a display of buffalo bone products, such as buttons and combs. Tamang and most other stallholders import their goods from either China or India. 

Before COVID-19 struck, Tamang’s daily revenue would average around Rs. 6,000. Living in an apartment with two children, her husband and her in-laws, Tamang’s household has only her income to rely on. Her mother, 67, is originally from Lamjung. She moved to Kathmandu in 2019 to help Tamang out with her stall. 

However, as the number of customers has tumbled, Tamang and her mother now spend most of their day sipping tea under a torn umbrella. Their average revenue per day is around Rs. 300. 

Anmita Shrestha sells bracelets on a plastic sheet, on the stairs behind the Hanuman statue. She hand makes the bracelets, while waiting for customers to arrive. Of a display showcasing 20 bracelets, she considers it her lucky day when two get sold. 

Similarly, brothers Ram and Bishnu Pokhrel sell books by the roads, on plastic tarps laid across the sidewalks. They sell around five books a day, and have to split the profit between them. 

With a monthly average rent of around Rs. 11,000, single-income families have been struggling to afford both rent and daily necessities. The drastic decline of foreigners means each stall has seen sharp decrease in their revenue. Most shopkeepers currently average around Rs. 200 per day, only a little more than the absolute poverty line of Nepal. Though Nepal’s poverty rate has been decreasing in recent years, according to government reports, around 30% of the population is living below the poverty line in 2022.  

However, not every shopkeeper in Basantapur has to struggle to survive. Ramita Thapa and her husband have been selling tea for almost 10 years. 

They average around 200 cups a day, selling each for Rs. 25. As locals of the area, they run their store from the ground-floor of their own house, relieving the burden of earning enough to pay rent. 

They open their store at 5am, but begin preparing for their day at 4am. However, their store is most crowded before office hours, and around 1pm, as their customers have always been office workers from around Basantapur. 

Basantapur famously hosts the former palace of the Malla and Shah 

Kings, Hanuman Dhoka Palace, 

which is now listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. The Durbar has remained unoccupied since 1886 and has transformed into a museum, showcasing clothing, thrones and other artefacts of former monarchs. Being first built during the Malla Era, the palace and its surrounding temples have been rebuilt and renovated a number of times, and there are ongoing renovations in the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake. 

As one of the oldest palace squares in Nepal, the intricate handiwork and cultural ambience influenced its reputation as an attractive tourist destination. However, the never-ending renovations and pollution devalue the beauty of the square. The Gaddi Baithak, once used for coronations and the welcoming of foreign diplomats, is now scarred with cracks. Most temples within the square are being held up with scaffolding, and have been untouched since the earthquake first occurred.

(Jyoti interns at TRN)