By james art 
I am selling Mahamali flowers for Tihar festival in Kathmandu.
KATHMANDU: In anticipation of the Tihar festival, local flower garlands are being sold in various parts of the capital Kathmandu.
Tihar is especially known as the festival of flowers. With local authorities banning plastic garlands, farmers and traders are happy to advertise their products.
According to the Florists Association of Nepal (FAN), there has been abundant production of Mahamali (Gomphrena globosa) and Godavari (Chrysanthemums) flowers this year.
Dilip Badele, president of the association, noted that 50,000 more garlands are expected to be exported this year compared to last year when only 150,000 garlands were exported.
He added that there is significant export demand for garlands, especially in the United States, Japan, Australia, Korea, several European countries and some Gulf countries.
