Step into the world of Nepali tradition with this hands-on cultural workshop. Guided by local artisans, you’ll learn to make duna and tapari — eco-friendly plates and bowls crafted from natural leaves and still widely used in festivals, rituals, and daily life. Using age-old techniques, you’ll experience how communities create sustainable alternatives to modern tableware.
As a bonus, you’ll also try your hand at twisted incense and cotton wick making, two simple yet essential crafts deeply tied to spiritual practices in Nepal. These skills reflect the harmony between nature, culture, and devotion.
Highlights
- Make your own duna and tapari with local guidance
- Learn about the cultural and eco-friendly value of leaf plates in Nepalese society
- Bonus activities: try twisted incense rolling and cotton wick making
- Take home your handmade items as unique souvenirs
- Support local artisans and practice sustainable living
- Small-group workshop for an authentic and personal experience
Duna and Tapari: Nepal’s Traditional Leaf Plates
When people imagine Nepal, they often picture snow-covered Himalayan peaks, prayer flags fluttering in the wind, or bustling trekking trails. Yet beyond the mountains lies another layer of heritage — a lifestyle built on sustainability, spirituality, and community traditions. Among the simplest yet most meaningful of these traditions is the making of duna and tapari: leaf plates and bowls crafted by hand, used for centuries in festivals, religious rituals, and communal feasts.
These leaf plates, stitched together from the leaves of the sal tree, are more than just eco-friendly alternatives to plastic. They are symbols of purity, connection to nature, and timeless craftsmanship. And when we dig deeper into the story of the sal tree, we uncover its extraordinary role in Nepalese culture — from humble dining plates to majestic wooden carvings in Kathmandu’s Durbar Squares.
In this blog, we’ll explore the fascinating world of duna and tapari, the sacred sal tree, and how these traditions connect to Nepal’s sustainable way of life.
What Are Duna and Tapari?
Duna: The Leaf Bowl
A duna is a small bowl-shaped plate, typically made from two or more overlapping sal leaves. The leaves are stitched with fine bamboo sticks or splinters, creating a sturdy dish capable of holding rice, lentils, or snacks. Duna are often used in religious offerings, ceremonies, and small servings during community feasts.
Tapari: The Leaf Plate
A tapari is larger and flatter, designed for full meals. Perfect for weddings, jatras (festivals), and large communal gatherings, tapari showcase the same technique of overlapping and stitching leaves but on a broader scale. Meals served on tapari feel special — earthy, fragrant, and deeply traditional.
Why They Matter
While modern alternatives like paper or plastic plates exist, duna and tapari remain widely used in Nepal. They are biodegradable, affordable, and culturally significant. For Nepalis, eating on a tapari isn’t just about convenience — it’s about honoring heritage and maintaining a connection to nature.
The Making of Duna and Tapari
Crafting duna and tapari might look simple, but it requires patience and skill.
1. Leaf Collection – Broad, green sal leaves are collected carefully, often by local communities who have practiced this craft for generations.
2. Drying and Preparation – The leaves are cleaned and sometimes lightly dried to prevent tearing.
3. Stitching – Using thin bamboo sticks, splinters, or even tiny wooden pegs, the leaves are stitched together. Each overlap must be precise to prevent leaks.
4. Shaping – Depending on the size, the plates are folded into bowls (duna) or kept flat as plates (tapari).
The process is slow and mindful, often done in groups. For many artisans, it is not just about making a product but carrying forward a legacy.
The Sal Tree: More Than Just Leaves
The sal tree (Shorea robusta) is one of the most important trees in South Asia, deeply intertwined with daily life, religion, and culture. It is a hardwood tree, native to the Indian subcontinent, known for its strength and longevity.
Religious and Cultural Importance
• In Hinduism, the sal tree is considered sacred. Its leaves are often used in pujas (rituals) and festivals, symbolizing purity.
• In Buddhism, the sal tree is even more significant. Legend says Queen Maya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) while holding onto a sal tree branch in Lumbini, Nepal. Many Buddhist monasteries and temples honor the sal tree as a symbol of enlightenment and life.
Thus, every duna and tapari carries more than practical use — it embodies centuries of spiritual reverence.
Sal Wood and Nepal’s Artistic Heritage
While the leaves of the sal tree give us duna and tapari, its wood has shaped Nepal’s architectural and artistic identity. Sal wood is one of the hardest and most durable timbers in South Asia. Its resistance to termites and weathering made it the preferred choice for temples, palaces, and shrines.
Sal Wood in Kathmandu Durbar Squares
Walking through the Durbar Squares of Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur, you’ll find a breathtaking display of sal wood carvings. These UNESCO World Heritage Sites showcase windows, doors, struts, and beams intricately carved with deities, mythical creatures, and geometric patterns.
• The Kasthamandap Temple, which gave Kathmandu its name, was built using sal wood.
• Many temple struts depict divine protectors and celestial beings, all carved in sal wood.
• Lattice windows (tikijhya) — iconic to Newar architecture — owe their durability to sal wood’s strength.
Despite earthquakes and centuries of wear, much of this woodwork still survives, proving the resilience of both the material and the artisans’ craftsmanship.
Symbol of Duality
The sal tree symbolizes duality in Nepalese culture:
• Its leaves serve everyday needs, returning to the earth after one use.
• Its wood builds monuments that last centuries, standing as Nepal’s cultural heritage.
This balance between the temporary and the timeless reflects Nepal’s philosophy of harmony with nature.
Duna and Tapari in Everyday Life
Rituals and Festivals
No religious ceremony in Nepal feels complete without duna and tapari. Whether it’s Tihar, Dashain, or smaller pujas, these plates are used to offer food, flowers, and sacred items to deities. Their association with purity makes them ideal for rituals.
Weddings and Community Feasts
In rural Nepal, serving wedding feasts on tapari is still common. Guests sit in long rows, and food is ladled onto leaf plates. The crinkle of leaves, the aroma of fresh food, and the laughter of people create a uniquely Nepali dining experience.
Eco-Friendly Dining
In cities, duna and tapari are making a comeback in street food culture. Vendors use them to serve momo, sel roti, or sweets — providing a biodegradable alternative to plastic or styrofoam.
Bonus Crafts: Twisted Incense and Cotton Wick Making
Alongside duna and tapari, visitors often learn two other simple yet essential Nepali crafts:
• Twisted Incense: Rolled by hand using herbs, spices, and fragrant wood powders, incense is central to temples and homes. Its smoke purifies spaces and connects people to the divine.
• Cotton Wick Making: Small cotton wicks are used in oil lamps (diyo), symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness. Almost every household in Nepal makes them for daily puja rituals.
Together with duna and tapari, these crafts create a complete picture of Nepal’s cultural and spiritual life.
Why Travelers Should Try a Leaf Plate Workshop
1. Cultural Immersion – Making duna and tapari connects you with a tradition that locals still practice today.
2. Sustainability in Action – Learn how eco-friendly practices have been part of Nepal for centuries.
3. Hands-On Souvenir – Instead of buying something mass-produced, you’ll carry home the memory of creating with your own hands.
4. Support Local Artisans – Workshops provide income and recognition to communities preserving these crafts.
Final Thoughts
From the humble duna and tapari to the magnificent carvings of Kathmandu’s Durbar Squares, the sal tree is deeply woven into Nepal’s story. Its leaves carry food and offerings, while its wood supports temples that touch the sky. It is at once practical and sacred, temporary and eternal.
Experiencing a leaf plate making workshop is not just about crafting something useful — it is about stepping into a tradition where sustainability, spirituality, and artistry come together.
So next time you’re in Kathmandu, don’t just admire the mountain views. Take a seat with a local artisan, stitch sal leaves into a tapari, roll incense, twist cotton wicks, and discover Nepal’s beauty through the crafts that have endured for centuries.
Image by Shiva Prasad Dhakal from Pixabay
