The agitator: Here, the pulp for the paper is readied. This pulp can include anything from scraps of cotton, jute, coconut fibre, bagasse, barks of banana trees, straw, to even husk!
The pulp is refined at various stages and the desired colour is added at the final stage
The filters are placed to strain out the water content from the pulp
The different-sized filters
The filtered pulp is placed on cloth sheets and readied
The penultimate step in the handmade paper production involves the nipping machine. The filtered pulp is placed here and is flattened for a uniform texture and in the process, the excessive water dries up
The flattened sheets are devoid of any water content
In the last stage, the sheets are put up for drying. In this process, the sheets absorb moisture from the air thus giving it the wavy and varied texture
The handmade papers give a provision of additional textures
The final product: handmade paper in all shapes and sizes
Picture Gallery: A Paper Factory in Puducherry
Located on 50, S V Patel Salai in Puducherry, Sri Aurobindo Handmade Paper Factory has been the storehouse of the art (and science) of handmade paper making. Operating since 1959, the paper mill has seen a fall in the demand of this crafted product. In the last one year, the production of the paper has reduced to 400 sheets a day from 2000 and the team team strength reduced to 50 from 500. Glimpses from the mill.