A Competitive Market

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

Last time I visited Budhanilkantha Temple, one of the original Gods of Hindus according to mythology. The vendors were staying around the temple to sell flowers and other things that are needed for worshipping. They have put different stalls to sell flowers to the pilgrims. If any person has gone there all of them would could call him/her taking flowers in their hand. They would heavily bargain with the pilgrims. They declare fewer price to attract the customers and bargain later on adding other things.

The situation is quite serious. They have called the pilgrims in such a way that some bad thing is going to happen around the temple. Some of them would do Namaste to attract the pilgrims. Some of them would light fire and round the flower so that they could sell it. Some of them would thrust their flowers to the pilgrims forcefully. It seems as if the pilgrims should buy their flowers at any cost.

I have stayed sometimes watching their activities. They have presented the example of the maligned persons beside the temple. They have competed in such a way that would make me realize the process of competitive market. It is competitive market in the sense that the vendors would compete not the customers. The customers would pay more money to them for everything. If they would buy the things or bargain they would abuse the customers. So the customers wouldn’t speak anymore to them.

If the customers would bargain they would abuse them and abused them as “beggar”. Thus the competitive market is from the vendors’ side not the side of the pilgrims. The pilgrims were made victim from their behaviors. The persons who have been staying as vendors would blame others as beggars. So the market is quite violent beside the temple.

The people who have visited temple should face much problem with their business. People go the temple to get peace or to worship the God. Instead they would be cheated from outer premises of the temple. The vendors would cheat them at first and they entered into the temple where they would be cheated by the priests. The priests wouldn’t show their interest to those who didn’t give them money. When I visited Budhanilkantha, two of the priests put tika on my forehead forcefully. I didn’t give any money to them. So they have expressed anger against me. Rather I chose an old man and get tika from him. When I had been doing that others would frown which I could see from their face.

The vendor market around the temple is too much competitive and violent. They would compete with their own partners however the pilgrims would be the victim. In this way, it is not good to do such activity around temple area. They should have been controlled neither they would defame the value of pilgrimage. The people who have visited the temple area should be conscious at first what to buy and where to buy. Finally, the vendors should be discouraged and it should be made systematic by the site Protection Committee.