I am planning to go to Nepal next month and I am planning for pretty extravagant shopping in Nepal. Is it a good idea to send money to nepal beforehand using MoneyGram etc? or is it just safe to carry $$ to Nepal in hand?

How much cash money (USD$) can one carry in hand while going to Nepal?

Maybe a mix of the two methods would work out better for higher rate of exchange rate?

Anyone who have been through similar situation, please suggest..