Thaindian News

Kathmandu, April 2 (IANS) John Varghese, a management consultant from Bangalore now working on a tourism project in Kathmandu, has turned down an invitation from his colleagues to go rafting during the weekend.

Instead, he plans to head for City Centre, one of the latest malls in Kathmandu offering an array of branded goods in air-conditioned comfort.

However, the 28-year-old is not going to indulge in any shopping orgy. He is going to the mall to watch the World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka.

With a 14-hour daily power outage smiting Nepal, cricket lovers have been relying on Kathmandu’s growing malls and large department stores to catch the matches.

Shops selling electronic goods have been World Cup’s good Samaritans in this year of power crisis, running their giant monitors on generators to allow the crowds watch the tournament and share in the excitement.

It would come as a pleasant surprise for Sachin ‘Ton’dulkar to learn of the huge fan following he has in Nepal where his innings in the thrilling contest with Pakistan was cheered lustily by the crowds in malls here.

It’s not just the shops but the five-star hotels and smaller restaurants as well that have jumped in on the cricket bandwagon.

While, in the past, the emphasis was on special menus, this year they are simply offering an opportunity to watch the final match uninterrupted by power cuts. The fans are lapping up the offer.

The World Cup has also invaded the cinema in Kathmandu.

Kumari, a boutique theatre in the capital with a reputation for screening offbeat movies, began a new innings this summer.

It has been showing the matches in one of its auditoriums, and Saturday’s show is expected to be house-full.