Lokta paper  

Nepalese craftsmen have been producing handmade paper for a thousand years. The people of Nepal use natural paper in their daily life for writing valuable legal documents, for making sacred or popular masks and kites etc. The monks of Tibet have always used it for their manuscripts and for printing sacred texts. This paper is renowned for its exceptional durability and for its lively and special texture.

A millennium has passed since the Tibetans introduced the still earlier Chinese technology of paper making to Nepal. The bark from Daphne cannabina or Daphne Papyracea “Lokta" in the local language is the raw material used. It is gathered at high altitudes. Then, it is carried to villages two or three days walk down to the mountains, where the paper-makers clean and boil the bark. Beating with wooden mallets produces a pulp which is poured into wooden frames, sun dried sheets are transported to paper factories where they are dyed, stenciled, printed and transformed into attractive products by craftsmen. Today products like greeting cards, stationary sets, notebooks, gift wrapping papers, bags, envelopes, photo frames etc. are made that reflect the tradition of ancient and original Nepalese culture

Visitors taking a stroll in the Kathmandu market place will see varieties of journals, photo albums, stationery sets and greeting cards made of a peculiar looking paper. The thin white or sometimes colored paper is peculiar indeed. Its texture is different, and so is the method of making it. The more it is observed, the more one may get eager to know about it. There is no solid evidence as to exactly when the Nepalese hand-made paper came into use. Some assume that Chinese businessmen doing business in India via Nepal brought it into India around the 11th century. The sacred Buddhist text, Karanya Buha Sutra, written in the Lichhavi script indicates that it was written some time between the 1st and 9th century A.D., which attests to the strength and long life of the paper.

The paper is made from the bark of the Lokta bush, an evergreen shrub of the Daphne species, found in the mountainous region of Nepal above 6500 feet. The shrub is   10 feet in height and 2 inches in diameter, and is usually ready to be pruned four years after they sprout. Although there is no uniformity regarding the method of pruning, the modern method employing sharp knives, is considered superior to the older, traditional practice of breaking and tearing down the stalks. The stalk should be at least 1 1/2 inches in diameter before it is considered ready to harvest. This ensures the use of plants whose bark is easily removed, and which will yield a paper that is strong. The stalk is cut at least 8 inches above the ground so that the heart of the plant is not destroyed and it can easily grow again from its embedded roots.

After the plant has been cut, its bark is removed and softened by soaking it in water for 72 hours; it is then cleaned the knots are removed, it's then washed, and dried before being stored. The dried, clean bark is cooked in a large vessel of water; the bark is properly cooked only when it breaks easily if stretched. Once cooked, it is taken out and rinsed; the bark is then beaten on an iron or stone plate with a wooden rod. Using a heavier device can destroy the fibers, making the paper weak. The beaten solution is poured into a specially designed light wooden frame with a thin cloth stretched across it. The frame is placed on a flat surface and the solution is spread evenly across it, it is then placed out in the sun. Once dry, the paper is peeled away from the cloth and stored in a dry room. Paper prepared this way is light brown in color; paper can also be made whiter by hanging it outside for days until the effects of the sun bleach it.

Handmade Nepalese paper, besides serving as a very durable writing material since ages past, is used by the native people for a variety of purposes. From making charms to ward off evil spirits to making attractive gift items, it is even employed by the people of the remote villages as a substitute for plaster to be applied to heal cuts and fractures. It has also found its way into use in religious rituals and for making incense.

Historically, all Nepalese legal and legislative documents are printed on Lokta paper because it is so durable. This authentic tradition has caught on with international interest because of the environmentally sound, and natural production.

Primarily women are the premier paper makers of Nepali paper. For the past 11 years we have supported the same group in Nepal. Our products give the village regions of Nepal a much-needed export, and result in the employment of many women in the Kathmandu Valley. All of our products are entirely tree-free, made from the environmentally sustainable trimming back of the Lokta Bush.

We have varieties of Nepali paper products for various purposes like Wedding Items, Photo Albums, Frames, Journals, Diaries, Address Books, Stationery or Boxed Card Sets, Prayer Flags, Gift and Wine Bags, Wrapping Paper, Other “Cool” Products and so on. 

Bhoj-Patra 

A kind of tree bark, which is extracted out direct from tree and is used as paper called Bhojpatra. The origin dates back to ancient era.

Uses:             Note pad, Diary, wall Paper, Invitation Card, Wrapping valuable items like lamp shade

Available:        Himalaya Region above 10,000 ft. attitude, snowy mountain region.

Size:                 According to the size of tree.