The paper making process in Bhaktapur is all done by hand, each sheet individually - from the Lokta bark found in the Himalayas. Though I went to see Ram & Aparna to collect my swing tickets and other stationary in Natural Lokta Paper, I took some pictures of the paper making process that is ongoing....
This is what the Lokta bark looks like - it is boiled into a pulp to make the paper.
It reminds me of doing paper mache when I was a kid! All the pulp is mixed with colour pigment or pressed flowers/leaves, and then sieved through these mesh screens, wiggled and drained to get an even layer in the net. Then they are dried in the sun on the roof.
I only use the natural cream colour of the lokta paper for my products but at this point they were making bright red paper for an order of red boxes.
The lokta paper is then screen printed by hand into whatever design required - they also make it into notebooks, boxes, bags - you name it!!
Suryog, who is Ram & Aparna's teenage son, has written a book about Nepali Cultural symbols and traditions, based on all the history surrounding their home and business in Bhakapur, a World Heritage site. His book has been carved onto metal blocks, page by page, and is printed (as with large repeat orders) on this German printing machine - looks very heavy duty! the mechanism swings the print block from the ink to the plain paper, stamping it, as the operator quickly changes the pages.
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