We are very sad to inform you that Aji’s eldest maker, 92 year old Gyani Laxmi Manandhar has passed away. She left us peacefully on the morning of Jan 26th in her home in Chhauni. In the short time that we got to know her, she left a lasting impression on all of us, including Aji’s team members, the journalists that interviewed her, people who bought her Mheecha pouches, and people who got to know her through videos and articles about her.

Gyani aji, as we liked to call her, strengthened our belief that age is no barrier for productivity and creativity. We are indebted to her for that. We here at Aji’s will always remember her for her passion and dedication for crafting, and her imagination. During one of our last meetings with her, she said to us, “I can travel the world sitting here. I just have to close my eyes and imagine. I have been to America, Australia. I can go anywhere.”