Patan — known as Lalitpur, "City of Fine Arts" — has been the heartbeat of Nepali metalwork for over a thousand years. It is here, in narrow lanes where the sound of hammers on metal mingles with temple bells, that Dhatu Crafts was born.
In 1987, master craftsman Ram Bahadur Shakya — whose family belonged to the Shakya community, the hereditary metal artisans of the Kathmandu Valley — opened a small workshop. His mission was simple but profound: to preserve the dying art of Dhatu Karma (metal craftsmanship) and share it with the world.
Today, his son Suresh Shakya and granddaughter Anisha Shakya lead the enterprise — blending ancestral techniques with modern commerce to bring authentic Himalayan metal arts to collectors, spiritual practitioners, and art lovers across 45 countries.
Ram Bahadur Shakya lights the forge in his ancestral workshop in Patan Dhoka. The first singing bowl — hammered entirely by hand from seven sacred metals — takes three weeks to complete.
A Japanese meditation centre orders 50 singing bowls — our first international shipment. Word spreads through spiritual communities in Japan and Europe about the exceptional quality.
We establish the Patan Metal Arts Collective, bringing together 12 master artisan families under one cooperative roof, ensuring fair wages and skill preservation.
Launch of our first website, connecting Himalayan craftsmanship with collectors worldwide. Orders from 28 countries in the first year alone.
Honoured with the Government of Nepal's "Best Craft Exporter" award. Our bronze Buddha statues are exhibited at the Smithsonian's Freer Gallery of Art.
Despite the global pandemic, we launch the Dhatu Craft School — a free training program for young Nepali artisans. First batch of 24 graduates master traditional metalwork techniques.
Third generation joins the business. Dhatu Crafts now ships to 45+ countries, employs 60 artisans directly, and continues growing while honouring every ancient technique.
Each piece passes through at least 12 pairs of hands before it reaches yours
The people whose dedication transforms raw metal into living art
We work directly with 60+ artisan families across the Kathmandu Valley. No middlemen. No factories. Just hands, hammers, and centuries of knowledge.
We believe that every handcrafted object carries the energy of its maker — the years of practice, the quiet concentration, the pride of mastery. In a world flooded with mass-produced goods, we are committed to offering something genuinely different.
Our mission is threefold: preserve traditional Himalayan metalwork techniques, empower artisan communities with fair livelihoods, and connect conscious consumers with authentic art that has meaning.
Shop With PurposeEvery technique we use has been practised in the Kathmandu Valley for centuries. We do not take shortcuts or use modern machinery for our signature pieces.
Our artisans receive above-market wages, health benefits, and a profit-sharing scheme. We publish our pricing philosophy openly.
We source metals from verified suppliers, use non-toxic traditional patina treatments, and package all orders in recycled and biodegradable materials.
Our free Artisan Training School has graduated 120 young craftspeople. We document ancient techniques through video and text archives.
Every single piece is hand-inspected by a senior craftsman. Anything not meeting our standards is returned for rework — never shipped to a customer.
We have shipped to 45+ countries and are part of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO). Our pieces live in homes, temples, and galleries worldwide.