- Increasing temperatures and erratic rainfall are making traditional pottery harder for potters who depend on natural raw materials.
- Faced with rising costs and competition from machine-made earthenware, most potters are switching to tailoring or working in brick kilns.
- Establishing cooperative societies and incentivising this traditional craft may help restore its legacy, say experts.
In the vibrant town of Ranapur, the streets lead to Kumbhar Mohalla, a neighbourhood distinguished by rows of handcrafted earthenware displayed in front of the houses. But deeper into the narrow lanes, the lively facade begins to fade. Some homes, once alive with the rhythmic sounds of potters at work, now stand silent with doors firmly shut. This stark contrast tells the story of the once-thriving livelihood of pottery that, despite its rich heritage, is quietly fading away. In many houses, tailoring machines have now replaced lines of pots.
This isn’t just the story of Ranapur, but a shared reality across many towns in the Alirajpur and Jhabua districts of Madhya Pradesh. In these districts, which share a border with Gujarat, pottery has long been a cultural cornerstone. The Bhil adivasis, who inhabit these regions and the neighbouring areas, have traditionally relied on earthenware for their daily lives and religious practices. The Prajapati community has carried out the craft of pottery, who live in villages around the Bhils.
Historically, these artisans would barter their hand-crafted earthenware- pots, utensils, clay bottles, and more- in exchange for food, and other essentials produced by the Adivasi community. For most families, however, pottery stands as an extremely challenging mode of livelihood in the face of changing climate, economic constraints, and an increased influx of machine-made earthenware.
Increasing heat and declining interests
The summer months, traditionally the best time for pottery, have become unbearably hot. India experienced lethally high temperatures during summer this year.
Pottery largely involves seven stages of production: sourcing the clay, clay preparation, pot making, sun drying, colouring, baking, and marketing. Five of these steps are expected to be carried out in the sun.
Nanuji Prajapati (36), a potter from Borjhad village of Alirajpur, explains, “Working under the scorching sun is becoming unbearable. On average, we spend seven to eight hours under the sun during a peak season. The intense heat not only affects our health but also the quality of the pots.”
“An optimum temperature is required to keep the clay sturdy, and we mix the clay with water accordingly. But with every day being a new record in terms of temperature, it is difficult to estimate the clay and water mix often making the finished products brittle,” he added.
Nanuji started making earthenware at the age of 12 after his father suffered a brain stroke. But he doesn’t want his son to take up the work after him. “My father did not want me to take this up, but I had no choice. But my son, however, does have a choice. I do not want him to sweat it out so much under the sun and not even make enough to sustain a family,” he added.
The monsoon season further disrupts production, with workshops often closing due to the humidity and rain. “Once the monsoons arrive, we can no longer keep our pots out to dry or bake them in the furnaces. But now, the rains are either delayed or unseasonal, making it even more difficult to work,” says Jayantibai Prajapati (40) from Ranapur.
“Often, we overlook the grounded impacts of climate change in rural areas, where livelihoods are increasingly at risk. In villages with potter communities, families traditionally create an ecosystem centred around earthenware production. However, changing climatic conditions and the centralisation of markets have profoundly affected the types of earthenware available. The entire process of crafting earthenware relies heavily on natural raw materials, making the effects of climate change undeniable. Water shortages, unseasonal rains, and rising temperatures disrupt critical steps like soaking and drying the clay. These disruptions can lead to cracks in the clay, making the process more challenging for artisans. As a result, many in the potter community are finding it increasingly difficult to continue their traditional craft, leading some to migrate or switch to other forms of work,” said Munna Jha, head of state Climate Action at Asar Social Impact Advisors.
Increased input cost
The primary raw materials for earthenware are clay and water, with the clay typically sourced from nearby villages and open agricultural fields within a 30-kilometre radius.
Although soil quality has declined for agricultural purposes over the years, experts say it remains suitable for making earthenware. However, despite its availability, the cost of clay has increased.
In the past, potters relied on donkeys to transport the clay. The donkeys were purchased from fairs held in Ujjain, about 150 kilometres away. However, these fairs no longer sell donkeys. While some families still have donkeys, most now rely on hiring tractors to cover the 30-kilometre journey to fetch the clay, with each trip costing between Rs. 1,500 and Rs. 2,500, depending on availability.
The amount of clay brought in a single trip is used to produce around 200 pots, with prices varying from Rs. 200 to as low as Rs. 50 at times. Apart from these, the potters also require additional raw materials like wood, which costs them Rs. 500/quintal and quilts that they buy from Modasa in the neighbouring state of Gujarat.
“An estimated Rs. 1.5 lakhs to Rs. 2 lakhs is spent a year on raw materials. We hardly make any profits, even if all our produced goods are sold,” said Sabur Prajapati (50), a resident of Ranapur. Amongst his three brothers, he is the only one still practicing the traditional craft, while his brothers have opted for different work.
“I wanted to hold on to the legacy of my father. But if it fails to ensure food for your family, how can we sustain it? My brothers opted for better-paying and secure jobs. My sons, who are now finishing school, will also study and apply for government jobs. I haven’t taught them pottery skills and do not wish to do so even in the future,” he added.
Like Sabur’s family, many others have either partially or completely shut down their pottery workshops and moved on to more profit-making businesses like tailoring or opening brick factories.
Machine-made earthenware, low incentives
In the current era of globalisation, inexpensive machine-made goods have dominated markets once served by traditional household industries.
Even in these localities, some have started opting for machine-made earthenware produced in parts of Gujarat. The affordable mechanised products from the organised sector have become the most significant threat to the unorganised household pottery industry.
“I sell both types of products, but the machine-made goods are cheaper for us and sell at better prices with no effort required on our part. I have limited handmade earthenware to custom orders only. I plan to shut down my workshop soon, as no one is willing to learn or continue the craft after me,” said Anil Prajapati (42) from Meghnagar in Jhabua.
However, there is also a section trying to keep the tradition alive. “If you usually look at earthenware available in the market, the costs are very high. However, the profit doesn’t trickle down to the artisans equally, and the main reason is the lack of awareness amongst the consumers themselves. If more and more people are aware of how to maintain earthenware and the proper usage, they will start buying directly from the potters,” said Jaya Jain, founder of Mahuabaan Folk Foundation, which works towards preserving soil-based folk art and connecting the artisans with urban consumers.
Experts also say that the absence of cooperative societies for the potter communities and state incentives have further pushed the rural livelihood to a brink.
“Currently, there is a limited market for earthenware that buys it only for its aesthetic value. In the absence of a proper local market, the costs usually go up. For the potters, every raw material is sourced from a different location which adds up to the cost. To address this and save rural livelihoods, the government should step up and provide some sort of subsidies to help them break even,” said Rahul Banerjee, an ecological activist working specifically on livelihoods, ecology, and preserving cultural knowledge of the communities residing in these districts, for the past two decades.
Banner image: A woman decorating the pots for sale in Ranapur village. Image by Aishwarya Mohanty for Mongabay.
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