In August 2025, Kathmandu, capital and largest city of Nepal, witnessed the growing influence of veganism through the vibrant Ahimsa Festival held at the Police Club, Bhrikutimandap. Organised by the Nepal Vegetarian Society, with the support of several collectives, the three-day event brought together vegans, campaigners, entrepreneurs, and experts from Nepal and abroad to showcase the plant-based movement’s ascent in Nepal’s urban landscape.
Dipesh Shrestha, the 28-year-old brand strategist and organiser with Kathmandu Animal Save, recounted how documentaries exposing the cruelty of animal agriculture propelled him into a life committed to ahimsa and animal protection. He said to the Rising Nepal, “I realised I could no longer be part of that system. That was the moment I chose to become fully vegan.”
Cruelty-free fashion also took centre stage at the festival. Saraswoti Yonjan, CEO of SaaS (The Breath), led her women-run stand dedicated to plant-based fashion, showing jackets and bags made from agricultural waste. She explained the reality behind animal skins and rejected the myth that avoiding flesh alone ends animal exploitation. Yonjan said, “Animal agriculture is one of the cruellest industries, where animals are exploited to the extreme for human profit. This is not natural. Today, cows and buffaloes are treated like machines, overbred, injected with harmful medicines and milked painfully. They are forced to get pregnant repeatedly beyond their natural capacity. And the main point is that their milk is for their calves, not for humans.”
Another highlight was the book “Shakahar Tarkadhar” presented by animal activist Raghu Aditya, which debunks longstanding myths about plant-based living using humour and keen insight. Messaging on display garments and bags, as shared by campaigner Sarita Shrestha, reads, “One year of being vegan can save 401,500 gallons of water, protect 10,950 sq. ft. of forest, preserve 146,000 lbs of grains, reduce 7,300 lbs of CO-equivalent emissions, and save 365 animals.” Cultural and familial challenges remain, as recounted by Nepal Vegan Society chairman Bikesh Shrestha, who said, “I lived separately from my family for over 20 years because we were unable to accept each other’s eating habits.” Despite obstacles, he estimates 600–700 vegans now reside in Nepal, with dozens actively involved in the movement.
Jordi Casamitjana
“Originally from Catalonia, but resident in the UK for several decades, Jordi is a vegan zoologist and author, who has been involved in different aspects of animal protection for many years. In addition to scientific research, he has worked mostly as an undercover investigator, animal welfare consultant, and animal protection campaigner. He has been an ethical vegan since 2002, and in 2020 he secured the legal protection of all ethical vegans in Great Britain from discrimination in a landmark employment tribunal case that was discussed all over the world. He is also the author of the book, ‘Ethical Vegan: a personal and political journey to change the world’.”
प्रतिक्रिया (०)