From dawn to dusk, the potter’s wheel turns at Dharavi’s Kumbharwada in Mumbai. It is 10am and a truck loaded with sacks has arrived right outside the narrow alleys of the neighbourhood lined with pottery shops.
Clay loaded truck has arrived at Kumbharwada from Gujarat. | Photo Credit: Purnima Sah
As men carry the sacks through the alleys, truck driver Rakesh Gupta explains that the potters of Kumbharwada (kumbhar means potter and wada means colony) buy the clay from Gujarat — mountain rock is smashed and powdered to use as clay.
A bag of Geru, red soil that is used by potters to polish the earthen pots. | Photo Credit: Purnima Sah
As we enter the lane, we spot a shop selling tools and paints. Potter-turned-shopkeeper Chetan Tank also stocks clay. Chetan shows an open bag of red powder called geru, a kind of soil that is used to polish earthen pots (matki) before they are baked in the kiln. “Geru is also powdered rock from Gujarat. It is said to have medicinal properties. Potters mix geru with water and apply it on burns for relief,” he says.
Women are polishing clay pots to keep them out in the sun. | Photo Credit: Purnima Sah
Families are busy polishing clay pots to keep in the sun. Some women are transporting pots in large bamboo baskets, balanced on their heads, to distribute to those who have taken a contract to paint and decorate them. Some women paint festival diyas, lamps and garba pots, while men make pots on electric potters’ wheels.
Homes in Kumbharwada | Photo Credit: Purnima Sah
The living space in the Kumbharwada colonies has changed over the years as a result of a growing population. A decade or two ago, it used to be spacious. Today residents live in cramped makeshift arrangements, turning their huts into two or three-storied houses with wooden planks and metal sheets.
Some houses are fronted by shops while the rear opens into the alleys where they manufacture the clay products.
Dinesh Bhura | Photo Credit: Purnima Sah
Showcasing Dharavi
Twenty-seven-year-old Dinesh Bhura, who is from Kumbharwada, wants to showcase life in the centuries-old colonies of Dharavi. After his graduation in Commerce, he started Mumbai Dream Tours. For nine years now, he, along with five of his friends, also from Dharavi, have been showing Mumbaikars and tourists the age-old industries and businesses in Dharavi.
“Seven islands make up Mumbai city. Mahikavati, one of the islands, known as Mahim today, was ruled in the 13th century by King Bhimdev, who was from Gujarat. During that period many Gujaratis settled in Dharavi. Today they are the oldest living community in Dharavi and most of them are engaged in pottery. There are five twisting lanes in Kumbharwada with approximately 10,000 families engaged in pottery-making,” he adds.
Changing pottery with changing times
Clay items are crafted through the year. Flower pots, water containers, crockery, utensils, bowls for ice-cream and phirni, including decorative items are also made here. These are sold across India and exported too. But with time, this profession has become very competitive, say the potters who have been constantly learning new designs to stay relevant. Prices for the clay products range between ₹ 20 and ₹ 2,000 depending on the design and size of the products.
Caps of garba pots. | Photo Credit: Purnima Sah
A traditional old wheel (called chakra) is found outside mosthouses. Very few potters still use the old wheel; most have switched to electric wheels as they are more convenient.
Potters have switched from traditional old wheel to electric wheels. | Photo Credit: Purnima Sah
Potter Kamlesh Tank’s forefathers migrated from Saurashtra in Gujarat many decades ago. He says that back in his father’s and grandfather’s time, the expectation of creativity was not as high as it is today. They used to make utilitarian objects or those with set designs such as garba pots with small holes in them. Colours were predominantly red and white.
Potter Kamlesh Tank upgrades his pottery skills everyday. | Photo Credit: Purnima Sah
Kamlesh elaborates: “In the last 15 years, so much has changed. Today we have a variety of design moulds that we use to create different kinds of clay pots. The standards of artistry and creativity have been raised. For instance, in the olden days, no one would bother if the earthen pots used to drink cool water were not beautifully painted. But that is not the case now.”
Pot designing molds that are used to engrave design on clay pots. | Photo Credit: Purnima Sah
Customers demand bespoke pottery items. “Earlier it was easy to just craft and make holes in them, now we have to carefully cut small designs on raw clay pots and then dry and bake it. The Diwali diyas too keep changing designs, adding beads, colours, drawings... Many customers tell us their ideas; we try to meet their expectations,” says Kamlesh.
Flower pots kept for drying. | Photo Credit: Purnima Sah
In a hut, four women are decorating garba pots. The floor is covered with shiny zari lace, beads, glue and small glass pieces. Fifty-eight-year-old Manjula Chitroda says they are all potters who have been living here for centuries. While men in the family have moved away from pottery, the women have not.
Women decorating garba pots. | Photo Credit: Purnima Sah
“This generation does not wish to engage in this bone-crushing hard work so they are gradually moving away from pottery. For the last two years, my husband and sons have been working as daily wage labourers, selling logs. We buy pots from other potters, then sell them in the market through dealers,” says Manjula, who, along with her daughters, works from 10am to 5pm to decorate 25 garba pots a day. Manjula adds that she was barely five when she started helping her mother and grandmother in decorating garba pots.
Garba pots decorated by Manjula and her daughters. | Photo Credit: Purnima Sah
“We are constantly upgrading our skills because this work is convenient for the women of our community. We earn in our own safe space, and can also take care of domestic chores and our children,” says Manjula’s daughter, 38-year-old Mita Chawda.
Kamal points out that traditional pottery is labour intensive but the next generation in most of the families is moving away from family businesses.
“To expand this work we need space, investment and people, but we have nothing,” says Kamlesh, whose son and daughter are college students aspiring for Government jobs.
Falguni Chauhan says they are the last generation in the family to stick to their traditional line of work. “Our children will not take up this. Many of the girls from our community are becoming make-up artistes or henna (mehendi) artistes. They get their payment upfront as soon as their work is done, unlike us. We have to wait till Navaratri to get paid.”
