PC: East Mojo

The sale of the 1000-years old heritage Monpa handmade paper or “Mon Shugu” is quickly catching pace after a special mention by PM in his Mann ki Baat.

Monpa Handmade Paper

• Monpa paper is made from the bark of tree Shugu Sheng grown locally in Tawang and is identified by its distinctive translucent fibrous texture.
• The paper is weightless but its natural fibres add great tensile strength to this paper making it apt for various artworks.
• It has been used for writing Buddhist scriptures, manuscripts and for making prayer flags.
• Writing on this paper is also known to be tamper-proof.

Note: This paper is yet to be awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

Revitalized by KVIC

• Khadi and Village Industries Commission, which revived this ancient art at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh on 25th December 2020.
• It has made Monpa Handmade paper available online through its e-portal.
• The revival of this art assumes significance as Monpa Handmade paper was once produced in every household in Tawang and the paper was exported to many countries like Tibet, Bhutan, Myanmar and Japan among others.
• However, with the new technologies coming in, the handmade paper industry almost disappeared in the last 100 years.

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