300-year-old wooden oil pressing mill keeping alive Khokana’s legacy
Summary
Khokana in Lalitpur continues its 300-year-old tradition of producing pure mustard oil using the historic wooden oil pressing mill, preserving its cultural legacy alongside modern mills.
Key Points
- Khokana in Lalitpur is renowned for its pure mustard oil produced using a 300-year-old wooden oil pressing mill.
- The historic ‘Gabu Jya: Sa’ oil mill is still operational and managed by Kanchha Maharjan, supplying oil domestically and abroad.
- Only one of the four traditional mills from the Malla period remains active, with efforts underway to revive the other three by Lalitpur Metropolitan City.
- Modern mills operate alongside the traditional one, with mustard farming declining locally and imported mustard used to meet demand.
