Sending Money Home for Dashain & Tihar 2026 — Dates, Deadlines and the Best Way to Send

Dashain and Tihar 2026: the dates that matter

Dashain (दशैं) runs from Ghatasthapana on Sunday, October 11 to Kojagrat Purnima on October 25, with the main tika day — Vijaya Dashami — on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 (Kartik 4, 2083). Tihar (तिहार) follows two and a half weeks later, from November 7 to 11: Laxmi Puja falls on Sunday, November 8 and Bhai Tika on Wednesday, November 11, 2026 (Kartik 25, 2083).

These two festivals drive the biggest remittance wave of the Nepali year. Families budget for new clothes, dakshina, feasts, travel home and Laxmi Puja shopping — and most of that money arrives from abroad in the weeks before tika.

When to send: the deadlines that actually matter

Two things slow transfers down at festival time, and both argue for sending early:

• Bank holidays. Nepali banks close for several days around Vijaya Dashami and again around Laxmi Puja/Bhai Tika. While they are shut, bank-deposit payouts queue until banks reopen. Cash-pickup counters at remittance agents keep shorter festival hours too.
• Peak volume. Transfer networks handle their heaviest traffic of the year in mid-October. A transfer that normally lands in minutes can take a day or two longer at the peak.

Practical rule: send by October 14 for Dashain, and by November 2 for Tihar. That leaves a comfortable margin for the money to arrive, clear, and be withdrawn before the family needs it.

Festival offers: the one time of year promotions are real

Because the Dashain corridor is so competitive, this is when remittance providers actually fight for your transfer. Gulf exchange houses (Al Ansari, Lulu, Al Fardan, GCC Exchange) run Dashain rate promotions and prize draws; apps like Remitly, Wise, Taptap Send and Western Union discount fees or boost first-transfer rates. The comparison rule does not change: ignore the advertised fee and compare the NPR amount that actually arrives for your exact amount, on the day you send.

Start with our Remitly vs Wise and Taptap Send breakdowns, or the full remittance apps comparison.

Sending from the Gulf?

Most festival remittance comes from Nepalis working in the Gulf. We have corridor-specific guides with the exchange-house vs app comparison for each country: from the UAE, from Qatar and from Saudi Arabia. The short version: quote a licensed exchange house and one app for your amount in the same hour — at festival time the winner changes week to week.

How the family receives it fastest

• Bank deposit — best rate and safest, but only while banks are open. Send early so it clears before the holiday closures.
• Wallets (eSewa, Khalti, IME Pay) — land instantly and keep working through the holidays for shopping and utility payments. See how remittance is received in Nepal.
• Cash pickup — IME Remit, Prabhu and bank counters; check festival opening hours before relying on it for tika-day money.

Make the festival money earn before it is spent

Money sent on October 10 is not needed until tika on the 21st. In a decent savings account that gap is not idle time — interest in Nepal accrues daily. If part of what you send is for bigger goals (land, a wedding, next year's fees), a short fixed deposit pays meaningfully more than letting it sit in a current account. Today's best savings rates and FD rates are updated daily from official bank data.

Festival gold shopping? Check today's gold price in Nepal before you visit the jeweller — Dashain–Tihar is when demand (and often the price) peaks.

Avoid hundi — especially at festival time

Festival urgency is exactly when informal hundi operators are most active. Hundi is illegal on both ends, offers zero protection if the money vanishes, and locks your family out of the remittance-linked benefits banks offer. With festival promotions running, licensed channels are usually just as cheap — and the money provably arrives.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dashain in 2026?

Dashain 2026 begins with Ghatasthapana on Sunday, October 11 and ends on October 25. The main tika day, Vijaya Dashami, falls on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 (Kartik 4, 2083 BS).

When is Tihar in 2026?

Tihar 2026 runs November 7–11. Laxmi Puja falls on Sunday, November 8 and Bhai Tika on Wednesday, November 11, 2026 (Kartik 25, 2083 BS).

When should I send money to Nepal for Dashain 2026?

Send by around October 14 — at least a week before Vijaya Dashami on October 21. Nepali banks close for several days around tika, bank-deposit payouts pause while they are shut, and transfer networks run at their busiest of the year.

Are banks in Nepal closed during Dashain?

Yes. Banks close for several days around Vijaya Dashami, and again around Laxmi Puja and Bhai Tika during Tihar. Wallet payouts (eSewa, Khalti, IME Pay) keep working through the holidays; bank deposits queue until banks reopen.

Which app is best for sending Dashain money to Nepal?

No single app always wins — at festival time providers run competing promotions, so compare the received NPR amount for your exact corridor and amount across two or three options: Remitly, Wise, Taptap Send and Western Union from Western countries, or licensed exchange houses from the Gulf.

Do remittance apps have Dashain offers?

Yes — the Dashain–Tihar season is when providers run their strongest promotions: reduced fees, boosted exchange rates and prize draws, especially in the Gulf corridors. Offers change weekly, so compare received amounts just before you send.