Hand-made Nepalese Lokta Paper Stationery, Journals and Notecards

Nepalese Hand-Made Lokta Paper

Hand-made Lokta paper has been made in Nepal for over 1500 years. The raw material is the bark of the Daphne cannabina or Daphne papyracea, locally known as Lokta. It is renowned for its exceptional durability and texture. The oldest available manuscripts of Hindu & Buddhist texts, royal edicts and legal documents are centuries old and have always been recorded on Nepali hand-made Lokta paper.

The bark is collected from the hills and mountains in western Nepal, with environmental awareness to preserve the fragile ecology of Nepal's forests. The paper-making process involves cooking the bark twice, washing, chopping and beating it with wooden mallets. The soft pulp is poured over a wooden frame and spread evenly by gently shaking the floating frame in a water tank, and then sun dried.

Our paper-maker has been doing this work for over three decades, and the company was founded by his grandfather. His father introduced screen printing to Nepal. He currently employs 15 people. In addition to a monthly salary, the craftsmen, most from the Tamang cast, are provided food and housing. Purchasing these hand-made Lokta paper products helps support village-based self reliance through the promotion of traditional crafts.