Sri Aurobindo Handmade Paper

The origins of Sri Aurobindo Handmade Paper trace back to the 1940s, when sadhaks, spiritual practitioners of the Ashram, began making cotton paper in small batches. What started as a creative experiment with waste materials grew into a dedicated workshop, and by 1959, larger papermaking equipment was installed in a coconut grove in Pondicherry, where the factory still stands today.

At its heart, the craft is rooted in sustainability. Off-cuts of cotton rag, sourced from Tiruppur’s textile industry, form the base of the paper. These long fibres are saved from landfill, carefully sorted by hand and beaten into pulp, releasing their strength and durability. The pulp is then transformed sheet by sheet, through the delicate skills of hand lifting, couching, pressing, and drying. 

Water is an essential part of papermaking. At Sri Aurobindo, it comes from an on-site well, and after use is filtered and returned to irrigate the coconut grove that surrounds the workshop. 

Once dried, each sheet is further refined through calendaring, where it is smoothened between steel plates to achieve the desired texture. Finally, every piece is inspected, ensuring quality that is both timeless and tactile.

Partnership

For Nüwa Mano, Sri Aurobindo Handmade Paper creates our garment tags. We wanted every detail of our collection to honour sustainable hand processes, and their method embodies that intention with care, precision, and respect for the environment.