Lalitpur. Khokana, a historic settlement in Lalitpur, is still known for its pure mustard oil. The taste and aroma of pure mustard oil flashes in the minds of many people. Locals say that the identity of Khokana has been preserved as the timber oil mill (Kol) with a history of around three hundred years is still in operation here.

The historic Gabu Jya: Sa Oil Mill located at Khokana of Lalitpur Metropolitan City-21 is still in operation. The three-hundred-year-old timber mill has been continued by local Kanchha Maharjan. According to him, pure mustard oil extracted from coal is being exported to the country as well as abroad.

During the Malla period, four historical timber oil mills were in operation at Khokana. Although three of them have closed over time, one of the mills has kept the old tradition alive. The Lalitpur Metropolitan City (LMC) has initiated the process for the construction of buildings to bring the remaining three mills into operation.

Maharjan said that foreign tourists also come to Khokana for observation due to the pure mustard oil and historical coal. As soon as you enter Khokana, you can see young commercial oil mills and signboards producing oil using modern technology.

According to Khanomi Oil Mill proprietor Pabitra Kumar Dangol, there are 10 to 15 oil mills in operation at Khokana. According to him, most of the entrepreneurs have started using modern mill as the oil was produced from wood charcoal in the past, as the cost is expensive and manpower is required.

Earlier, the locals of Khokana used to produce mustard on their own, but now the cultivation of mustard has decreased. According to Dungol, people of Khokana used to travel to Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, Makwanpur and Nuwakot to exchange oil and mustard. According to him, oil is being produced by importing mustard from India, Ukraine and other countries as the market is not sufficient to meet the market.

Historically, Khokana has been known for mustard production and pure mustard oil, which is still popular in the market due to this identity. Locals believe that the coexistence of both modern technology and old charcoal has preserved the tradition of Khokana oil.