According to a 1930 government order, government employees enjoyed a 5-day holiday in Dasain, 2 days in Tihar, one hour on Ram Navami, after-2 pm on Indra Jatra and half a day for Bhoto Jatra.
The 1999 gazette shows the following list of holidays:
| 1) | Saturdays | 52 |
| 2) | Oasain | 10,15 for the courts |
| 3) | Chaite Dasain | 1 |
| 4) | Tihar | 4 |
| 5) | Remembrance days | 4 |
| 6) | Kings\'s Birthday | 1 |
| 7) | Anniversaries | 2 |
| 8) | Women only | 3 |
| 9) | Festivals | 12 |
| 10) | King\'s state visits | - |
| 11) | Kathmandu Jatras | 4 |
| 12) | Kathmandu only | 52 |
Besides these, off-days are also announced during the visit of some foreign dignitaries, or when a very important person dies. Meanwhile, with " the advent of democracy, a new kind of off-day has emerged in the form of bandhs. In the year BS 2054, bandhs accounted for 10 holidays, and in BS 2056, it took 6 days.
Taken together, this means a total of 150 off-days, or 5 months off per year. Surprisingly, for employees outside the Kathmandu Valley, Sunday is still a working day. It seems they do not deserve to have Sundays off. Only God knows the reasoning behind this, or does He?
The reasons provided for declaring Sunday a holiday in the valley were many-it would cut down pollution, consumption of electricity would go down, there would be smaller telephone bids, whatever. But has this happened? No one knows for sure.
Some SAARC countries do enjoy holidays on Saturdays and Sundays, but they do not get holidays on Jatra days, Jayanti days, what have you. The main festivals do not merit more than 2 days off. Japan has a total of 14 official holidays, America 10, China 16, European nations an average of 10 days, India 17, Bhutan 16, Pakistan 11 days, etc. In Nepal, the Dasain holiday itself is 10 days, and make that 15 for the courts. Maybe they need it.
Employees can fake another 90 days or 3 months off, for festivals, home leave, mourning leave, sick leave, maternity leave (for women), etc. For education, a leave of 3 years is granted, and that can be extended by another 2.
All this means that the people in Kathmandu Valley have to work for only 4 months a year, while the people in other parts of the country have to work for 6 months. No wonder the productivity, growth and development of Nepal is touching the sky.
