Bhaktapur, July 1 -- Inside a modest factory nestled in the heart of Nepal's Bhaktapur, Rina Suwal moves swiftly between steaming vats of milk and rows of pitchers waiting to be filled.

From early morning until late evening, she is immersed in a daily ritual that has become her life's work for the past 25 years -- preparing Juju Dhau, the famed "King Curd" of Nepal.

This delicacy holds a cherished place in the Newa community, particularly during festive seasons, where no celebration feels complete without it. But as time has passed, the very vessel that defines Juju Dhau -- the traditional mud pitcher -- is slowly being replaced, threatening to erode a piece of cultural identity.

"When I started working (making Juju Dhau), only the mud...