Kukri

The Kukri or Khukuri is a heavy, curved Nepalese knife used as both tool and weapon. It is also a part of the regimental weaponry and heraldry of Gurkha fighters. It is known to many people as simply the "Gurkha knife".

The kukri was used by the Gurkha forces in the Anglo-Nepal War as well as in First and Second World War. The Nepalese handle these knives from the age of five. During World War II, Gurkha recruits preferred their village smith's (kami) blade to mass-produced issue ones. The quality of the blade varies widely. They come in every size from miniatures to enormous sword-like implements. The people who make them are called Kamis (knifesmiths) and the Kamis are a member of the "untouchable" caste. Another term for the smiths who make the blades is biswakarma which translates as "worldmaker".

The Gurkhas, noteworthy as brave soldiers who have used the kukri as a fighting knife while in British service, are members of the Kshatriya caste. Invaders into India historically have remained there, and added to the social/ethnic/cultural life of the country. The Gurkhas are an East Asian-looking people, though it is a matter of debate when they migrated to the south side of the Himalayas, or just where in the North they migrated from.



Pashmina

Pashmina is the best Cashmere wool in the world. A true Pashmina is the wool from the neck & underbelly of goat "Capra Hircus" also known as "Chyangra" that thrives only in the Himalayan ones of Nepal, & Tibet at heights of 12,000 to 14,000 feet or more where there is little vegetation and extremely cold winters. Pashmina is only 12-14 microns thick which is thinner than a human hair. Cashmere is defined as any wool under 19 microns thick. Most Cashmere is in the 16-18 micron range. Although it is new to the West, in Nepal and India it has appealed for generations. The western world has been slow to discover pashmina's unique qualities. Exceptionally soft and light, yet extremely warm. Pashmina has become an indispensable and versatile accessory to penetrate the fashion world in decades true.

The hardy little goats which live up there have little extra protein and nutrition to grow thick coats of hair and the inner coat of hair is Pashmina. In fact the word "pashm" means inside. The most of the world's Pashmina shawls are woven on handlooms in Nepal. And most are woven on a warp of spun silk for increased suppleness and strength. In recent years this silk and CASHMERE blend has become the darling of the western fashion world.



Nepalese Handmade 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, for kites etc. This paper is renowned for its exceptional durability and for its lively and special texture.

The bark from Daphne cannabis or Daphne Papyracea of thymalaeceae family "Lokta" in the local language is the raw material used. It is a shrub that grows in the forests, under the shade of the larger plants, in the foothills of the Himalayas. The height of this shrubs are 10 to 15 feet. The leaves are green in colour, 2 to 4 inches long and 0.5 to 1 inch wide. The flowers are white with a sweet smelling scent. The inner fibrous bark of this plant is the raw material used for the making of Nepali hand made paper. It is a self regenerating native best fiber and abundant in supply, thus preserving the fragile ecology of Nepal as well as giving continued work to the many mountain villages who make their living by making the raw paper.

Lokta grows at an altitude of around 6500ft and over and is strong, durable and has an inherent natural resistance to worms and insects. It is made using a centuries old process handed down from generation to generation.

Varieties of products are made from "Lokta Paper" like postcards, writing pads and papers, wood block prints, calendars, gift wrap, lampshades, pen holder, gift box, paper bag etc. These products are exported from Nepal to different markets like USA, Japan, Canada and European countries.



Metal Craft

Metalcraft products include metal images of popular god and goddesses of Hinduism and Buddhism and utilitarian utensils. These products are mostly produced by household units clustered around the city of Lalitpur (Patan) and the district of Bhojpur in east Nepal.

In Nepal, making metal images is a very old art. These are produced with the lost wax method of casting. This method of casting is done by preparing a wax model, covering it with varieties of clay, heating the piece so that the wax is melted , extract the liquid wax so that cavity is created , pouring metal into the cavity , cool it and the original model is translated into the metal image. The metal image out of the casting is very rough. Rough image is then made smooth chiseling is done to bring precision. The metal statue is then painted as per the specifications of religion or as per the request of the client.This complicated job requires an artist's conception, proper technology, an engineer's perfection and the skillful hands of a craftsman.

The art and skill is transferred from generation to generation and artisans follow the age-old designs and production technology. Today items like paper knife, spoon and forks with traditional designs are added to the range. Sculpting metal is a lengthy procedure that requires great skill. A large piece of art can take up to six months to create and several people need to work on it.

The main workshops of Fabulous Handicraft Center are at Okubahal, the old metal working area of Patan. They turns out the most exquisite copper statues, some of which take up to three years to complete. In the time-honored fashion, three craftspeople work on each piece, no matter how small-one to model the wax, cover it with clay and finally to pour the molten copper into the clay mould, another to etch details and finally a person to paint the face and body.

Tools and utensils of metal like water pots, cooking pots, plates, door locks, bowls, etc. are made of either bronze, brass, copper, aluminum alloy metals and iron.



Nepalese masks

Nepalese masks are some other souvenir items that accurately reflect Nepalese culture and religion. Nepal is a beautiful country resided at the crossroads between India and Tibet and thus the forms of worship found here contain elements of Indian Vedic and Tantric Hinduism as well as Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan Bon (animism). It has wide collections of arts and culture to offer to outside the world. The diminutive Nepalese "mask" presented here are some of the examples. Beautifully colored and available in many different sizes, Nepalese masks show different forms of God and Goddess found in Nepal. These small and wonderful hangings are meant to be placed on walls, especially above or beside doors and windows, to invoke the aid of popular Hindu deities. In the style typical of Tibetan and Nepalese tantric hagiography, they are all wearing elaborate pointed crowns and displaying their open third eyes. These small pieces of decoration material not only reflect religion aspect but also add excellent look when they are used as decoration materials.

These Nepalese mask actually represent the religion, cultures and festivals of Himalayan people in Nepal. In our collection of Nepalese masks we always look for the high quality and those that have traditional cultural value. Nepalese mask makers try to show the religion and culture while making these dolls they also serve a very important function in the community. Nepalese masks are made of cotton, paper, wood and clay. These Nepalese masks also serve a very important function in the community. Given the nature of Asian polytheism, these images straddle the fine line between the invocation of gods and goddesses as luck bringers and the somewhat contrary use of devotionary images for protective magical purposes. To make it clear they are unwritten words about Nepalese cultures, religion and community that
describe more than thousands of un-spoken word.