Khokana: A Guide to the Kathmandu Valley's Mustard Oil Village

Overview

Khokana is a traditional Newari village located approximately 9 kilometres south of Patan in Lalitpur district, adjacent to Bungamati. It is widely regarded as one of the most architecturally intact historic villages in the Kathmandu Valley. Khokana is particularly known for its traditional mustard-oil production industry and the Rudrayani temple, an important Shakti shrine. The village's tightly packed brick houses, carved wooden facades, and cobbled lanes have survived largely unchanged and offer an immersive sense of medieval Newari town life.

The Mustard Oil Tradition

Khokana's most distinctive local industry is the production of mustard oil using a traditional wooden oil press (kol). The press is a large wooden screw mechanism operated manually; mustard seeds are loaded into the press housing and the heavy wooden beam is rotated to express the oil. The oil produced is unrefined, golden, and fragrant — quite different from industrially processed mustard oil.

The tradition is centuries old. Mustard has long been a major crop in the Kathmandu Valley, and Khokana's location made it a natural centre for oil processing for the city of Patan and beyond. Several traditional oil presses still operate in the village, though production volumes have declined as mechanised oil production has reduced demand for hand-pressed oil. Visitors can observe the traditional press in operation in some workshops and purchase fresh mustard oil directly.

Rudrayani Temple

The Rudrayani temple at the centre of Khokana's main square is the village's most important religious site. Rudrayani is a manifestation of Durga (the fierce form of the goddess Parvati) and is worshipped as the protector of Khokana. The temple is a three-tiered pagoda and the focal point of the village's annual Indra Jatra celebrations, during which a distinctive local ritual involving a goat sacrifice is performed in the temple courtyard.

A notable and controversial local practice involves a ritual held during Indra Jatra in which a goat is released into a pond and young men of the village must retrieve it — a rite linked to the goddess's worship. The ritual has attracted attention and debate in recent years.

Village Architecture

Khokana's streetscape is one of its most compelling features. The main street running from the village entrance to the central square is lined with three- and four-storey brick houses with elaborately carved wooden windows and ground-floor shops. The buildings vary in age from the 15th to the 19th century. Unlike some historic sites in the valley, Khokana is not primarily a tourist destination and sees fewer visitors than Bhaktapur or Patan, which means the atmosphere is more authentically that of a working village.

Practical Information

Getting there: Taxi from Patan (25–30 minutes) or combined with Bungamati (5 minutes by taxi between the two villages). Local microbuses from Ekantakuna in Patan reach the general area.

Entry fee: No entry fee.

Best time: Mornings on weekdays to see the oil press operating and village life at its most active.

Photography: The village is a public space; respectful photography is generally acceptable. The oil press workshops may request a small payment for detailed photography sessions.

Time required: 1–1.5 hours.