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Himalayan Lokta Paper

How our Lokta Paper is made

What is lokta paper?

Nepali crafts people have been producing handmade lokta paper for more than a thousand years in the Himalayas.

It is prized for its attractive texture, the durability and strength of its fibre and its resistance to insects. The people of Nepal continue to use handmade lokta paper and, until the Chinese occupation in 1959, traded it with Tibet where it was used in the monasteries for sacred texts. Nepalese still use lokta paper today for official government documents due to its durability, and for wrapping paper to retain the potency of incense, spices and medicine.

The paper is made from the bark of one of several species of the shrub Daphne, mainly Daphne papyracea, which grows in forests at an altitude of 6500 to 9500 feet (2000 to 3000 metres) in a region of Nepal close to Mount Everest. Lokta plants thrive in the under storey of both coniferous and broad leafed forests. They reach a mature height of 10 to 15 feet with basal diameter ranging from 2 to 3 inches. The leaves grow 2 to 4 inches long and 0.5 to 1 inch wide and the flowers are white with a sweet smelling scent. Nepali handmade paper is made from the inner fibrous bark of this plant.

Nepali handmade lokta paper is an environmentally friendly and sustainable resource that is harvested and produced naturally. The bark of lokta bushes is harvested by hand without destroying the plant. After harvesting, the Lokta bush naturally regenerates, reaching full maturity again in six to seven years.

How is lokta paper made? (click on photos to view)

The making of Nepalese handmade lokta paper is an ancient skill passed down through generations, and starts with villagers gathering the lokta inner bark in the forest. They carry the bark back to the village, where local paper makers wash it in a stream. The fibre is put into large oil drums and the inner bark is boiled.

The softened bark is washed and cut into small pieces and cooked again. The soft, cooked bark is placed on a flat stone and beaten to a fine pulp with wooden mallets. Water is then mixed with the pulp to form a homogeneous emulsion. The whole process is carried out by hand, as there is no electricity in the villages.

When the pulp is ready, it is sent to a village close to Kathmandu. This pulp mixture is then diluted and poured over a fine cotton mesh screen that floats on a pool of water.

The frame is gently shaken to spread the pulp evenly and set to dry in the sun. Once the mixture has dried, the sheet of paper is peeled off the frame.

The softened bark is washed and cut into small pieces and cooked again. The soft, cooked bark is placed on a flat stone and beaten to a fine pulp with wooden mallets. Water is then mixed with the pulp to form a homogeneous emulsion. The whole process is carried out by hand, as there is no electricity in the villages.

When the pulp is ready, it is sent to a village close to Kathmandu. This pulp mixture is then diluted and poured over a fine cotton mesh screen that floats on a pool of water.

The frame is gently shaken to spread the pulp evenly and then set to dry in the sun. Once the mixture has dried, the sheet of paper is peeled off the frame.

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Last updated on 15 June 2024
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