Kathmandu, Nov. 10 -- In Prajapati Ceramic in Bauddha, ten pottery wheels await creative hands; the walls are lined with mugs, trinket dishes, and bowls in various shapes and sizes, crafted by potters of differing skill levels.

"It was such a random idea, and I'm so happy that I did it," says Riya Prajapati, the 22-year-old founder of Prajapati Ceramic, which she says is "the first pottery studio in Kathmandu".

Prajapati tried pottery for the first time when she was 19. Her uncle, who deals with ceramics, taught her a few tricks of the trade. "I didn't really get it. I was not intrigued. I never would have thought that it would become such a big thing for me."

Yet, pottery runs "in her veins", as she says today. The Prajapati caste has...