Kumhars of kutch by Arun Sankar

Kumhars of Kutch

craft documentation on painted terracotta kutch | gujarat

Kumhars of Kutch Craft documentation on Painted Terracotta

Author Arun sankar Guide P. T. Girish

KERALA STATE INSTITUE OF DESIGN

Acknowledgement

About KSID

Preface

Culture

Craft Package

Craft Community

Tools, Equipment and Machinery

Infrastructure

Process and Production

Traditional Motifs

Craft Persons

Problems Facing by the Craft

Gujarat

Route Map

Kutch

History of Craft

Specific Location of Craft Community

Raw Materials

Product Details

Uniqueness of the Values of the Craft Craft

Hopes

Glossary

Reference

... Acknowledgement The project would not have been possible without the help andkind support of various individuals. Ever y person, I met or spoke helped me in moving a step further towards the betterment of this project. This project was supported by Kerala state institute of design. I am thankful to my colleagues who provided expertise that greatly assisted the research. I am also grateful to Sri. Gireesh P.T, Executive director, KSID who moderated this paper and in that line improved the manuscript significantly. I have to express my appreciation to Mr. Niraj, founder of Dehaati, a clay design studio working with local potters and Miss. Srishti for sharing their pearls of wisdom with me during the course of this research. I am also immensely grateful to Shalu Anal who clicked some of the good photographs for me during the field research and visit to Kutch. The co-operation and kindness of the people in Kutch is something big that I experienced in my research phase.

... About KSID Kerala State Institute of Design (KSID), a design institute under Department of labour and Skills, Government of Kerala, is located at Chandanathope, about 8 Kilo meters from Kollam city. It was established in 2008 with the support of NID Ahmedabad and is one of the first state-owned design institutes in India. The faculty development programme and curriculum development for the design programmes of KSID are provided by NID Ahmedabad. KSID currently conducts Post Graduate Diploma Programs in Design developed in association with National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. The Kerala State Institute of Design (KSID) was established for the purpose of creating a vibrant design community in Kerala through synergistic partnership between artisan community, professional designers and general public. The institute was later merged with Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence (KASE) on 1 April 2014. KASE is the apex agency for all skill development activities in the state of Kerala. One of the most important objectives of KSID is to promote design education. To realise this objective, KSID is offering Post Graduate Diploma programs in Design which were developed in consideration of Design Programmes at National Institutes of Design (NID) and Indian Institutes of Technolog y (IIT).

... Preface The Kutch region in Gujarat is famous for its Great white sand desert, known as Rann of Kutch. The Kutch have many other unique identities from the rest of the India. The district Kutch is the largest district in India. It is the land of arts and crafts. The fabrics, the weaves, the prints, silver jeweller y, copper artefacts etc. of Kutch are in demand not only India, but all over the world. Among the crafts of Kutch, Potter y is one with a rich tradition. The histor y of potter y in the Kutch region dates back 5000 years at least. Potter y products excavated from the archaeological site of Dholavira, an ancient city belonging to the Indus Valley civilisation is proving this fact. For the Kumbhars of Kutch, it is not just a craft but something ver y intimate. The potter y making is carried out by an entire family and there is equal participation of men and women in the process of craft making.

... Gujarat Gujarat is a state in western India which is referred as the “jewel of western India.” It is land, rich in arts and crafts culture. Gujarat has varied terrain and numerous sacred sites. In its urban centre of Ahmedabad is the Calico Museum of Textiles, displaying antique and modern Indian fabrics. Ahmedabad also shows its remarkable architectural sights. Traditional artisans in tribal villages weave, embroider, dye and print some of India’s finest textiles, and pristine parks harbour unique wildlife, including migrator y birds, wild asses and the last remaining prides of Asiatic lions. For the spiritually inclined, sacred Jain and Hindu pilgrimage sites sit atop mountains that rise dramatically from vast flatlands. And colourful festivals burst with a cornucopia of culture. Gujarat also claims a special relationship to the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi: he was born here, he ignited the satyagraha movement from here, he made his Salt March here – and his legacy remains a vibrant part of public discourse and private lives.

... Route Map The potters villages in Kutch are grouped into 7 clusters. Two villages located near the seashore are Gundiyali and Tuna. Bhuj is the biggest cluster in Kutch Potter y. The research journey was from Kerala to Ahmedabad and from Ahmedabad to Kutch.

Ahmedabad

Bhuj Gundiyali Tuna Anjar Lodai Khavda Ratadia

... Kutch Kutch district (also spelled as Kachchh) is a district of Gujarat state in western India. Covering an area of 45,674 km, it is the largest district of India. The population of Kutch is 2,092,371. It has 10 Talukas, 939 villages and 6 Municipalities. Kutch literally means something which intermittently becomes wet and dr y ; a large part of this district is known as Rann of Kutch which is shallow wetland which submerges in water during the rainy season and becomes dr y during other seasons. The same word is also used in Sanskrit origin for a tortoise. The Rann is famous for its marshy salt flats which become snow white after the shallow water dries up each season before the monsoon rains. The district is also famous for ecologically important Banni grasslands with their seasonal marshy wetlands which form the outer belt of the Rann of Kutch. The language spoken predominantly in the Kutch district is Kutchi language and Gujarati The Kutch culture is also ver y famous for its creative art. The handicrafts, textile art, painted potter y etc. are some of the examples.

Geography Kutch district is situated on the western end of the state. It is an ancient land possessed of great antiquity, which takes its name from its geographical characteristics and topographical features resembling a tortoise. This crescent shaped region called Kutch forms part of north-west Gujarat. It lies between the parallels of latitude 220.45’ to 240.40’ and the meridians of longitude 680.9’ to 710.45’ The length from north to south of this territor y is about 220.32 km. and from east to west about 376.80 km. It is bounded on the north and north-west by Pakistan, on the north-east by Rajasthan state, on the east by the Banas Kantha and Patan districts, on the southeast by Surendranagar district, on the south by the gulf of Kutch and Rajkot district and on the south-west by the Arabian sea. The Kutch Peninsula is divided into nine sub-micro regions, namely, Rann of Kutch, Dungar Upland, Khadir Island, Banni Lowland, Rapar Stony Waste, Sathsaida B et, Coastal Plain, Bhuj Upland and Creek Zone on the basis of topography, climate, geolog y, soils and natural vegetation.

Topography Topography of Gujarat shows a wide range of physical features ranging from physiolog y, drainage, soil to coastal and marine environment, etc. The topography of a land indicates the varied landscape and physical features. Hills, though of no great height, are one of the main natural features of Kutch. The hills divided into three groups, namely The hills of main land, The hills of Vagad area and Rann elevation in the north. All the rivers or streams of Kutch start from its central portion and flow towards the sea in the south and the Great Rann in the north and the Little Rann in the south east. The Kutch rivers are non-perennial. 17

The major rivers of Kutch are the Kali, the Dhudud, the Malan, the Khari, Kankawati, the Kharod, the Kukmavti, the Nag mati, the Bhukhi etc. The Kutch district has approximately a coastline of 406 km with nine ports, namely Kandla, Tuna, Jangi, Kharirohar, Mundra, Mandvi, Jakhav, Koteshwar and Lakhpat. The coast is generally flat and broken by small and big creeks. In India there are ver y few natural creeks possessing water and depth. Kutch is fortunate to have creeks such as Kori, Baroda and Godia. The Rann is a salt flat. It is divided into two parts. The Great Rann to the north and the Little Rann to the east. In appearance and general character, the two parts of the Rann differ but little.

Flora and fauna Kutch has lots of varieties of Acacia trees. Some of Acacia trees are Acacia Senegal, Acacia Leucophloea, and Acacia Nilotica etc. The Mesquite is a leguminous plant and it grows in the arid regions. The wild exotic plants were brought from South America and they were grown to stop the spread of the deserts and the soil-erosion. These plants are also called ‘Gando Bawal’. Some of these plants are also used as cattle-feed. The best fodder providing tree named ‘Koo-Babul’ is also grown in Kutch. It has many better nutritional values. Its pods contain a big amount of protein. Many other kinds of fodder are grown separately for camels, buffaloes, cows, sheep and goats. Planting a variety of trees, shrubs, creepers and bushes is now possible in Kutch to provide the requirements of both human-beings and animals. The vast land of Kutch has long seashore and vast deserts which provide Kutch an extraordinar y variety of wild life. Chinkara and the wild asses were found near the little rann of Kutch. Neelgai or Blue Bull, Wild Boar or Jungli Budhar, Indian Wolf, Jackal or Shiyad, striped Hyena or Jharak, Desert Hare or Sasla, Indian Fox or Lonkadi, Mongoose or Nolia, besides some jungli

cats, desert cats, Pangolin, Indian Porcupine and long eared hedgehod are also found in Kutch.

Climate The climate of this district is characterised by a hot summer and dr yness in the non-rainy seasons. The year may be divided into four seasons. The cold season from December to Februar y is followed by the hot season from March to May. The south-west monsoon season is from June to September and October and November form the post monsoon season. Kutch has a tropical monsoon climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 14 inches. The temperature ranges from 2 degrees Celsius in the winter to 45 degrees Celsius in the summer.

Economy Kutch District in the state of Gujarat largely depends on the mineral based industries. Kutch has re-emerged from the carcass of one of the most devastating earthquakes in the histor y that took place in Januar y 2001 and today has become a most important industrial hub. Over 60 percent of total salt production is contributed by the district. With large reser ves of limestone, bauxite, and lignite, Kutch district is one of the chosen destinations for most of the mineral based industries. The district boasts of being one of the most important manufacturers of Submerged Arc Welded (SAW) pipes in the world. There are a good number of medium and large scales industries which are supported by a sizeable number of small scale industries. Due to presence of two important ports, Kandla and Mundra, Kutch district accounts for a ver y high cargo movement. Kutch is also well known for handicrafts. Out of total one hundred and thirty-six industrial cooperative societies, seventy-one belong to handicrafts. Palaces, temples, fairs and festivals of Kutch attract a large number of tourists in the district which also contribute to the economy of the district.

Demographics The total population of Kutch district is 1,583,225 comprising of 815,152 males and 768,073 females according to 2001 census report. The population of the district forms 3.1 percent of the state population and ranks 15th among the districts. The total rural population in Kutch district is 1,108,333 persons and it is 70.0 percent of the total population of the district. The total urban population in the district is 474,892 persons and it constitutes 30.0 percent of the total population of the district. The density of population in Kutch district is 35 persons per sq.km. against the state density of 258 persons. This is so because a vast area of the district is rann (desert) area. There are 942 females for ever y 1000 males in Kutch district. The sex ratio for rural and urban areas of the district is 953 and 917 respectively. Comparatively the sex ratio in rural areas is higher as compared to that in urban areas in the district.

... Culture Religion Religion forms an integral part of Indian Social system. Kutch is a land of many religions and religious people. In the pre-Independence census reports, the data on religion was being presented for 9 major religions namely Hindu, Muslim, Tribal, Christian, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, Jew and Others. Migration of people in and out led to the birth of many religions, inscriptions of which can be found on stones and other car vings. The inscriptions found of Andrau and Rudradamn regime give out the fact that 2 centuries before Jesus, Buddhism and Jainism had already spread in Kutch. And amongst the two, as time passed by, Jainism became the prominently followed and practiced religion. Even today Jainism is the principle religion followed in Kutch. Another prominent religion is the Hinduism. Many Gods and Goddesses are worshiped in this religion. In Kutch district, proportionately, the percentage of Muslim population in urban areas is less than that in rural areas, while that of Sikh and Jain is little more in urban areas as compared to that in rural areas.

People Kutch has been a significant confluence point for different races and people. The nomadic pastoralists are certainly the most interesting and their links can be traced on one side to Mar war and Mewar (regions of Rajasthan), Saurashtra and, on the other side, Sindh and beyond to Afghanisthan, Iran and Central Asia. The population consists of various groups and communities like Jadejas, Bhanushalis, Lohanas, Jains, Brahamans, Bhatias, 23

Rajputs, Gurjar Kshatriyas, Khojas, Memans, Khar vas, Mali Samaj, Rabaris, Rajgor, Baluch, Khar va Meghvals, Leva Patel, Wankars, Vankaras, Ahirs, Shah, Dhanetah Jaths, Halepotra, Bhadalas, Raisipotra, Sammas, Node, Gosains, Gadhvis, Kapdis, and many more groups .

Fairs and Festivals Gujarat is famous for its vibrant festivals and celebrations. People used to say, it’s the land of love and joy. The Kutch is also known for its unique and traditional fairs and festivals. The months’ form August or September, especially after the monsoon is the season of fairs and festivals. The different tribes of Kutch like, Rabari, Ahir, Mar wada – Meghwal, Sodha, Jat, Koli etc. celebrates the festivals with extreme joy and happiness. If we say about religious festivals, ever y year, people of Kutch celebrate all religious & holy festivals like Deepawali, Eid, Mohharam, Holy & Dhuleti, Janmasthami, Maha Shiv Ratri, Ram Navami, Navratri and many more. India is the countr y known worldwide for the culture, traditions and many rituals. India is the only countr y in the world having significant diversity in terms of caste, religion, community, lifestyle and languages. Being part of India, Kutch also has a similar stor y. But although being diversity in religion & caste there is an appreciable thing about Kutch, and that is brotherhood & unity in people of Kutch. All devotional functions are celebrated together by Kutchi people regardless of religion, caste or community. Ashadee Beej (Kutchi New Year), Kutch Mahotsav which is also known as Rann utsav, Mota Yaksha Mela, Hajipir Mela and Mata Na Madh Mela during Navratri are some of the festivals completely specific to Kutch only. Rann utsav is an organized festival at the edge of great white desert of Kutch. It is organized ever y year from December till March by Gujarat Tourism (Govt.) where people can live in the luxurious tents and watch the cultural activities. It is mainly focusing at tourists. 24

Cuisine The staple food is Rotlas made of Bajri (millet) which the local relish with Butter milk or ‘Chhas’, Butter and Jagger y or ‘Gud’, ‘Khichhdi’ made of rice and dal (pulses) is liked by ever yone. In ever y house of Kutch, a glass of water is ser ved to the guest as a custom. Tea which was unknown 60 years ago has become the universal drink among all classes of people. Milk based items like curd and ghee are ver y common in food preparation. Ground nut oil and ground nut is generally used to make the food more exotic. The usually Kutchi Cuisine consists of Roti or Rotlas, Curd, Butter milk, Dal, Curr y, Vegetables, Papad, Kachumbar. Dr y rotlis or Theplas and Khakras and Sev (of Gram Flour) are made and stored as food during travelling etc. Now a day, food values are becoming tastier and palatable than nutritious. The main delicacies in food items are- Khaman dokla, Gathia, Undhia, Muthia, Raita, Dahi wada, Kachori, Bhajia, Bhaji made of brinjal, bitter gourd and lady’s finger, etc. As a change from normal food, Dabeli, Puri Shak, Pav Bhaji, Bhakarwadi, Papdi, Kadak, etc. have crept in. There are many varieties of sweets like- Adadiya, Gulab Pak, Son Papdi, Mohan thal, Pedas, Halwa, Gulab Jamun, Jalebi, etc.

Clothing Kutchi Costumes are unique and some of the embroidered are ver y costly. The mirror work and embroider y work forms an integral part of Kutchi Handicrafts irrespective of the community or ethnic group to which they belong, however the workmanship differs. In fact, the various communities can be identified by the pattern of handicrafts and dress or costumes they were. For instance, the Garacia Jat women wear only red or black chunis while Rabari women wear black open blouses or cholis with odhnis to cover head. 27

In the rural areas women wear Chaniya choli during the whole year, Chaniya choli’s are of many designs and fashion. Typical Kutchi costume is incomplete without ‘Abha’ or ‘Kanjari’. ‘Abha’ is the name of the typical choli worn by women folk and ‘Kanjari’ is a long blouse beautifully embroidered and with mirror work. Most men in Kutch wear loose trousers, a long-sleeved under-jacket, a short coat, a plain or silk-bordered cloth. Normally men prefer white clothes except the Muslims who prefer colored clothes.

Music Kutch district is ver y fond of Kutchi Folk Music and it plays a vital part of ever yone’s lives. The foundation of the Folk Music is existed since the ancient period. The man in the early stage were used to invent new sounds for showing his feelings and sentiments and at that time music further developed as folk music. Music is like harmony and the way through a man can show his feeling and sentiments. There are various instruments such as Daklu, Damaru, Dholak, Duff, Flute, Ghaghar, Khanjari, Manjira and Jhanjha, Murli, Nagara, Sarnai, Tabla which are used for music. Musical Instruments are linked with various aspect of people and their religion.

Dance Kutch Culture also includes Kutchi folk dance. In Culture of Kutch folk dance is the oldest form of dance. There are different forms of folk dance such as Dandiya Raas and kutchi Gajiyo. There are modern forms of dandiya known as disco dandiya. Apart from the traditional folk dances, ever y Kutchi people dance during the nine-night long festival, Navaratri.

Architecture Bhunga houses are one of the architectural specification of Kutch. The Bhunga is a traditional construction type in the Kutch district of the Gujarat state in India, which has a ver y high earthquake risk. It consists of a single cylindrically shaped room. The Bhunga has a conical roof supported by cylindrical walls. Bhunga construction has existed for several hundred years. This type of house is quite durable and appropriate for prevalent desert conditions. Due to its robustness against natural hazards as well as its pleasant aesthetics, this housing is also known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Architecture without Architects. â&#x20AC;&#x153;

... Craft Package The Kutchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s craft package is ver y huge including printed textile crafts, woven textile crafts, hard material crafts etc. The presence and coexistence of different communities is the reason for this rich culture. From the early civilizations, Kutch is home to handicraft traditions. The presence of a kiln at Lothal, one of the sites of the ancient Indus Valley civilization, indicates that potter y was a well-established craft in the state. Some of the oldest and the best textiles that were in great demand in West and Southeast Asia were created in Kutch. A visit to Kutch, however fleeting, is replete with images of colourful and fascinating textiles, elaborately car ved wooden and stone Jarukhas and beautiful handcrafted silver jeweller y. In Kutch it is customar y for a bride to have exquisite hand embroidered Ghagras, Odhnis, animal covers, bags, quilts and house decorations as part of her trousseau. The important crafts of Kutch are Ajrakh block print, Bandhani, Batik print, Bela printing, Camel wool weaving, Embroider y, Kala cotton, Leather art, Mashru weaving, Metal bells, Kutch potter y, Rogan painting, Silversmithy, Woodcar ving etc.

... Craft Community The community that works with Kutch potter y is Sindhi community which is believed to be originated from the Sindh region of Ancient India. The people of the craft community are believers of Islam religion. Most of the houses of these people are made of stone and mud. The craft people living in Bhuj cluster have much better standard of living as compared to other clusters of potter y. They have proper sanitation facilities and entertainment options than the other clusters. This could be because of the existence of town near the Bhuj cluster which creates good market for the potter y. The Islam believers are the minority community in the Kutch region. The presence of schools, colleges and universities in Kutch provide good education to the younger generations of the families in respective location. Other than potter y, the families of Sindhi community have cattle farming. They grow cows and goats in their houses.

House of a potter in Bhuj village

High school in Lodai village

The potters of Kutch consider the space for studio more than anything while building the houses. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have toilets or kitchen attached to the house. The toilets are seperated from the houses and in some villages3 or 4 families use one common toilet. The food is prepared outside the house. As a whole the houses are just to sleep and work for the Kumbhars of Kutch.

... History of the Craft The Potter y is one of the oldest human inventions, originating before the Neolithic period. The Kutch potter y can also be traced back to 4500 years. The Indian archaeologists have found the remnants of pots used by the tribes of early Indus valley civilisation. The present Kutch potter y have that strong cultural tradition in its styles, shapes and motifs painted on the pots. Unlike todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scenario, the craft was carried in early periods were not for the market but for the community itself. There were different communities existing in those times who were doing a special kind of craft for the community like, people making cloths, food, etc. So they exchanged the products between each other. A kind of barter system was prevailing at that point of time between the communities. The self-reliance of people in Indian economy was a remarkable thing in early periods. The Kumbhar community is the community of potters (Kumhaar) and there were two main sections of potters existed in early times namely Sindua potters and Prajapati potters. The Sindua potters consisted of people believe in Islam and Prajapati potters were Hindu believers. Later when the time changes from barter system to market system, the craft became a business. The Prajapati potters who were business minded people find it hard to make profit out of this craft, changed in to other business ventures like mainly food business. Thus Sindua potters are the only community carr ying the potter y craft now in Kutch. From the words of Ramzan, a senior potter in Kutch, the Sindua potters strongly believe in the tradition of the craft that they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to run it as a business. 34

And it is also a hard time for the potters in Kutch. The number of families doing the craft in Bhuj cluster alone came to 8 to 9 families from 1000 to 1400 families.

... Specific location of Craft Community

The Potter y in Kutch was spread in the entire Sindh region in early periods of Harappa civilisation. After the India – Pakistan partition, the potter y concentrated areas were also parted. Now the craft sectors have limited to seven clusters according to the geographical boundaries. Those seven clusters, which used to call as potter’s villages are namely Bhuj, Anjar, Gundiyali, Ratadia, Tuna, Lodai and Khavda. Bhuj is the biggest cluster in Kutch, doing potter y craft. There were around 1000 to 1500 potter’s families existed in Bhuj 3 decades ago. But in present scenario the number of families carr ying the craft has come down to 30 – 35 families. And also among these, 8 to 9 families are actively doing the potter y as a full time work. Anjar is the second largest cluster doing potter y in Kutch. Approximately 400 households are Kumbhar families in Anjar but only 10 families are still active in the craft. The Kumbhars of Anjar have come from the villages of Jawaharnagar, Sanghad, Mathak, Chandrana, Kumbharia etc. The third biggest cluster is Gundiyali, a village which is ver y close to Mandvi seashore. The kumbhar families practicing the craft has come down to 30 to 35 from 100 households. The Kumbhars here have migrated from the villages of Bhadreshwar, Desalpur and Mundra.

Ratadia and Tuna are the next two clusters in Kutch, which had around 40 potter families at a time. Now there are about 12 families in Ratadia are engaged in the craft. Tuna is situated near the seashore and unlike the other clusters, the products of Tuna have much demand in the market because of its water cooling features. The kumbhars of Ratadia are from Gagodar in the eastern part of Kutch. The Lodai village and Khavde village are the remaining two clusters practicing potter y craft. In case of Lodai, there are approximately 35 kumbhar families living in there. While 15 families still practice the craft, only 4 are involved in the fine skilled painting. The kumbhars of Khavda say they moved here about 60 years ago from Sumrasar. They moved to better service their clients in Khavda. Only 3 families are now able to sustain the craft among the 30 kumbhar families living in Khavda.

With potters of Bhuj cluster

... Raw Materials The Kutch potter y can be described as earthenware, commonly known as terracotta. So the main raw material for the craft is clay. There are different types of clay in different regions of Kutch. The potters of different clusters acquire clay from the nearby lakes or sea beds. The colour of the pot is different for different clay. There is also some specialities for some clay like, potters of Tuna village use the clay which is extracted from a section of the sea bed when the waters recede. That give the pot a unique property of keeping the water ver y cool. Red soil, black stones etc. which used to make natural colours are other important raw materials for the craft. Once the pot is made and dried, women begin paining the pot. They usually do paintings with black, white and red colour. Until recently, they were using natural colours for painting. That is, the black colour is made from the stone from the landscapes around Kutch, White is china clay and red is made from the geru (iron oxide). Some of the villages of Kutch still have the firing pits instead of Kiln. Firing pits needed firewood to create the fire. Thus fire wood is also an important raw material for the potter y making.

... Tools, Equipment and Machinery

The introduction of machineries to the craft is in the first stage of the production, where the clay is procured from the lakes and sea beds using shovel and is carried in tractors to the studio. Other unique tools and machineries used in the process of making potter y are as follows; Electric wheels – The clay is made into various shapes of pots with the help of a wheel. Before 3 decades, stone wheels, which were rotated manually using long wooden rods where used by all the potters in Kutch. Then later the wooden wheels were introduced and currently the potters have gained access to electric wheels which reduces much of the human effort. Trimming and shaping tools – There are many kinds of tools used to trim and shape the clay during the process. The trimming tools are kind of wooden rod with metal wires at two edges. It is mostly used in making hands on products. The shaping tools are wooden rods with smooth, cur ved or pointed edges. Kunero and Tiplo – These are the tools used in tapping process. Kunero is made of stone and is used to support the inner side of the pot and Tiplo is a wooden bat that is used to tap the pot from the outer side. Bothe these tools play a ver y important role in the potter’s life. Tools were passed from one generation to the next and help maintain the identity of the Kumbhars.

Electric wheel

Trimming tools

Tiplo

Bamboo brushes

Kiln

Firing pit 42

Bamboo brushes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The women use brushes made of bamboo sticks for painting on the pot. Unlike the normal painting brushes, the bamboo brushes which they make themselves can create bold lines and the shape of the object on which they are painting is also an important reason for why they are using bamboo brushes. The pots on which the women are painting is in round shape. So they will be rotating the pot and painting, and the bamboo brushes will give more control than the normal brushes. Kiln or firing pit â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The firing is the last stage of production in potter y making. Kiln is the mechanism used to fire the pots which are ready after painting. The earthenware clay body matures in the kiln at a temperature range of 800-1050 degree Celsius. Similarly firing pit is also a mechanism for the same purpose. It is a pit, with full of premature pots covered and fired. The advantage of kiln over the pit firing is that, in kiln 100 - 150 pots can be fired at a time and it takes 6 - 8 hours to fired whereas pit firing can take 300 - 400 pots at a time but it takes 2 - 3 days to fired. Electric kiln is also now available in the market, which can take a few pots at a time and few hours to get fired. Many potter y villages of Kutch are following old techniques of potter y making. Lack of enough investment is one of the main reason for the outdated equipment and machineries.

... Infrastructure In brief, the infrastructure facilities that needed for the craft are transportation, workspace, electricity, firing land etc. The required amount of clay for the production of the potter y is transported from the lake side to studio is with the help of a tractor or auto rickshaw. It is an infrastructural improvement in hand with technological updating. Earlier people used donkey carts to transport the clay to the studio. The replacement of donkey carts with tractor costs more for the potter but still it made big differences in standard of human effort and time. 3000 kilo grams of clay can be transported in a tractor at a time. The potters donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t own the vehicle but they usually rent the tractor or auto for this purpose of acquiring raw materials. The architecture of the potter y villages is in such a way that; they give more importance to the workspace. The studio is along with the houses of the Kumbhars. The studio will be in about 100 sq. ft. where the potter work with his machineries like electric wheel and he keep the finished pots in the same space. It is either a shed made with old clothes or as an extension from the house made with stones and mud. It is difficult for a potter to work in such workspace in different weather conditions of the Kutch. The electricity is uncertain in many villages of the Kutch still in these days. Since many of the potters now in Kutch are using electric wheels for the production, electricity is a ver y important factor in the production process of the craft. Due to the uncertain condition electricity sources, the potters are forced to work on the old technique of stone wheels.

Kiln is the new technique of firing the pre matured pots to get the final product. But it is not widely used in the villages of Kutch. They use the old technique of pit firing. The pit is digged in the land of any one or two potters in a village. Since the electricity is uncertain, they are not able to introduce electric kiln to their workspace.

... Process and Production The Kumbhars of Kutch are mass producers. A single family will procure about 3000 kilo grams of clay in ever y month or once in two months. The scale of production and working hours depends upon the season. If it is a festival season, they have to produce more pots than the other times of the year. Similarly working hours will also be raised in festival seasons. 1 potter uses approximately 100 kilo grams of clay in a day. The important features in the production of Kutch potter y are the co-operation of the families in a village and the participation of women in the process of production. The potter y making is a ver y skilful job which needs a lot of patience and focus. From the words of Ismail Kumbhar, a senior potter in Lodai village, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the clay has to listen to the potterâ&#x20AC;?.

Collecting the clay Clay is the important raw material for the Kutch potter y. There are different types of clay in different regions of Kutch. The clay is normally acquired from lakes or sea beds near to the village. The potters of Bhuj are mainly collecting clay from the Haripar pond which is in a distance of 15 kilo meters from the village. The men in the family are usually go for collecting the clay. They use tractor or auto for the transportation of the clay. Any clay will not meet the requirements of a potter. The identification of clay is a skilful job which is acquired by a potter through his experience. They would check the clay, as it is different on different layers of earth. The potters rub the dr y clay with their nail, and if the clay appears shiny, then possibly it can be used on the wheel.

Preparing the clay The second stage in potter y making, after the collection of clay from the land to studio is mainly done by women in the family. It is the preparation of the clay. 48

The collected clay may be in the form of large chunks. This needs to broke down into pieces. So the women will crush the clay and soak it. They use a wire mesh or cotton cloth to refine the soaked clay. Then the clay will spread on the floor and sew it until the clay become fine quality. There are different fine variations of clay used to make different kinds of products. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the potter who decides which quality he needs to work with. It will take hardly 8 to 10 days for the preparation of the clay.

Throwing Here is the skill of a potter is questioned. He should be ver y skilful and patient to work on the wheels. This stage is usually done by men in the family. The potter y making on stone wheel is much more tough job than on electric wheel. They do not use tools like a measuring tape to check the height or width of a particular product. Their accuracy comes from practice. Some of designs on the pot is given in this stage while they make the shapes. The potters use a thread to separate the pots from the wheel.

Tapping The shape of the pot is already decided from the wheel. Tapping is the process just after the throwing stage. The shape of the pot if fine-tuned by tapping process. 2 important tools named “Kunero” and “ Tiplo” appear in this stage of production. The pots are beaten in a way with the wooden bat called tiplo to smoothen its shape. Initially the pots should be in ‘leather hard dr y’ for tapping and the tapping is done in several stages as the clay dries. The potters use cutting blades to remove extra clay from the bottom and is pulled upwards to make it even. The pot looks almost finished after tapping.

Dr ying The fine quality pots needs to be dried before painting on it. The pots are dried in natural sunlight. Since the potters are depending on the natural sources for dr ying the pots, it is a limitation for the potters in bad weather conditions. The production will come down in the monsoon season from June to September due to the issues like lack of sun heat for dr ying. 50

Painting Once the product is dried, women begin painting the pot. The next big role of women is coming in this stage of production. The painting on the pots of Kutch adds more value to the craft. The painting is done according to the community for whom the pot is made. Earlier the women used natural colours which are made from stones, red soils and white clay to do the painting. But now they are also using the chemical paints to paint on the pots. The natural colours are also prepared in the same way as they prepare the clay. They have to crush, soak and refine the soil or stone in order to make the colour. The motifs they paint on the pots are inspired from the nature around them. It can be from the sea, animals or jungle etc. Some of the villages are still using the motifs from the ancient culture of Harappa. They use bamboo brushes for the painting which give them more control while working with pots. A woman achieves symmetr y in her painting through practice.

Firing The final stage in potter y making is the firing process. It includes loading, firing and unloading. 51

There are two methods of firing existing in Kutch namely kiln firing and pit firing. 100 to 150 pots can be fired in kiln at a time and 300 to 400 pots can be fired in pit at a time. There are definite time differences for both types of firing. It will take only 6 to 8 hours in kiln for the pots to be ready whereas it will take about 2 days in pit firing. The fuel for the firing include wood and garbage. The final product after the firing is guaranteed to stay for a lifetime. The remnants from the Indus valley civilisation proves that. When the product is ready after these stages, they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have enough warehousing facilities to keep that much quantity of products. There will be a middleman in ever y village who stands between the potter and market person. The middleman will come and collect the products from the houses of potters and he is paying to the potter per quantity of the products.

... Product details The Kutch potter y produces a wide variety of products for the local market, urban market and also for the tourist market. Each village will produce more than 1000 pots in a month. Now a day, to revive the dying potter y tradition in Kutch, some young designers and non-government organisations are working with the Kutch potter y. The products which are made from the villages of Kutch are as follows; Pots â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pots are made in different sizes which are used for different purposes. The unique painting works are mostly seen in the pots of Kutch. The main product of the Kutch potter y is pots. The rate of the product is based on the size of the pot. For a medium size pot, the potter will get 50 to 60 rupees per piece and the same product is sold for 100 to 120 in the market. Pigg y bags â&#x20AC;&#x201C; These are made when the market of the craft expanded from the community to the urban and international spaces. They make pigg y bags of different sizes. The rate of the pigg y bags are different for different sizes and it varies from 5 rupees to 60 rupees. Toys - The pots and toys are the traditional products of Kutch potter y which they made for their communities. The toys include miniature models of the kitchen wares like cup and soccer, tea potter etc. They make miniature models of animals, hanging toys are the other variety of toys that they make. These are the hands on products made by the potters without throwing on the wheel. There are different studio based products also made in Dehaati clay design studio which could be considered as design inter vention in Kutch. Those are as follows; 53

B ottles â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The bottles show the evidences of design inter ventions and relationship between the communities of weavers and potters. The potters make the clay bottles and give them to the weavers to weave around the bottles and those varieties of products are now hitting the market. The bottles are also made in different sizes. Sculptures â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The sculptures are other hands on product made by studio. They make mainly the sculptures of gods and nature. These products are comparatively costly than the other products of Kutch potter y and it is made for the urban and tourist market. The products form different clusters have different market value and different customers. This is due to some special features of the pots from different villages.

... Uniqueness of the Craft Why the Kutch potter y is unique in the world of craft and world of potter y is a ver y relevant question. The Kutch potter y is unique not only because of the products, painting and motifs but also because of the people and their love towards the clay. The colours and quality of the clay from Kutch region is ver y special. The range of clay in Kutch is mainly red and white. The Kutch potters use combination of red, black and white colours in stylistic forms to paint folk, geometric and floral forms of art on the pots. The forms and shapes of the various Kutchi products show remarkable variation and uniqueness. The Kumbhars of Kutch come from a lineage that makes their products and practice distinct from the other potters from different parts of India. It is believed that the forefathers of Kutch kumbhars are migrated from the Sindh region. There is enough archaeological evidence to show that there is a commonality of potter y motifs, styles and techniques between the Sindh and Kutch region. The people of Kutch are ver y rooted to their tradition and they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to imitate the other cultures. Their love for the mother earth is ver y real and thus the pots that they make from the clay has got some specialities from the pots of other materials like plastic or aluminium.

... Values of the Craft The craft of potters has got a great value in ever y culture since it is one of the oldest human invention. The civilisation has built by these types crafts in early periods. Unlike the other crafts, the Kutch potter y defines equality for both gender. The men and women have their respective roles in the craft. The craft canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exist without the participation of any gender. The products of Kutch potter y are made for the communities in exchange for any other product, in ancient times. Now the market has been expanded to local market, urban market and international market. The local market is within the village, the urban markets are Ahmedabad, B ombay, Surat, Delhi etc. Since Kutch is one of the main tourist attracting spots in India, the doors to the international market is opened there. There are many reasons to praise the values of the Kutch potter y. But in reality, the Kutch potter y is travelling through a hard time. The return in value for the work put in seems to be decreasing in these years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The potter y uses the basic elements of earth, fire and space in its making. As the human form and spirit journeys from birth to death, we embrace potter y at each milestone in our transitions through life. The use of earthen pots and elements in our rituals at birth, marriage and death also mark an emotional acceptance of the same five elements within us, as that which makes the pot; a celebration and surrender to the clay that made us, and to which we return.â&#x20AC;? [1]

... Traditional Motifs The painting on the pots of Kutch adds more value to the craft. It is not merely a decorative feature of the pots but it is the expression of potter’s aesthetic sensibilities and also a reflection of the natural surroundings. The aesthetic quality of the painted pot is apparently related to the artistic beauty of the patterns executed. These design patterns constitute of motifs and elements which can be classified as geometric, non-geometric, human, floral motifs etc. The geometric forms associated with the craft are as follows; Lines – It is a geometric unit and forms the basis of innumerable geometric motifs. Lines can be vertical, horizontal, thicker or thinner with respect to the design. They mostly use horizontal thin lines which they acquired from the Harappan culture. According to the archaeological studies, Harappans of Gujarat never or rarely used thick and vertical lines in their art. Wavy and zigzag line patterns – These patterns are possibly inspired from the rivers. It was also found on a number of potsherds from many Harappan as well as post – Harappan sites of Gujarat. It also symbolizes range of hills. Triangles – It is also a basic geometric motif representing hills or hillocks. Squares – These are represented as secondar y motifs and mainly found to enclose other motifs like four – petal flowers, sun motif, opposite hatched triangle. Circles and dots – These are used as space-fillers, as border, as separate motif, as enclosure etc.

Natural motifs which are as important as geometric motifs painted on Kutch potter y represents the living world in graphic forms. They include floral, faunal and human motifs. The faunal motifs include deer, bull, fish, serpent, wolf, crow, duck, peacock etc. and the floral motifs include pipal tree, acacia tree, lotus, flowers etc. There will be the presence of human motifs along with the faunal motif as hunting. Purely human motifs are absent in the painting of Kutch potter y. No human figure is depicted realistically. Dances, hunting are some of the actions painted on the potter y of Kutch. There are also various other symbols and motifs used in Kutch potter y apart from these main characteristics.

... Craft Persons The skilled craft persons are the asset of Kucth potter y. The senior potters in the families are 60-70 years old people with that much amount of experience in the craft. Kumbhar women are co creators of the potter y in Kachchh. They are ver y skilled in the painting on terracotta before it is fired and lend it a distinct identity. While women also mix the clay and help with the firing process they do not generally work on the wheel. Clearly, they are indispensable to the potter y practice of Kachchh and none of the potter y clusters would be able to function without their unique relationship with the clay.

Ramzan Kumbhar and his son (Bhuj cluster)

Ismail Kumbhar (Lodai cluster), Razak Kumbhar (Anjar cluster) 62

... Problems facing by the Craft The Kutch potter y now is in its crisis period. The craft is facing a lot of hurdles in its way. Some of the important problems facing by the potters of Kutch are as follows; Decreasing demand in local market â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The main market of the Kutch potter y is its local market, that is within the district and nearby districts. But now the influence of aluminium and plastic kitchen wares are increasing in Kutch, which is eliminating the monopoly of earthenware pots in the respective region. Lack of interest â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Kutch potter y is a family business or a craft carried by whole family. It is also a skilled profession which needs some interest to practice that craft. The younger generation in some families are not willing to continue the craft as a full time job because of its lesser income and decreasing demand. Lack of raw materials â&#x20AC;&#x201C; One of the main reason why the potters use chemical colours to paint the pots are the lack of raw materials. The availability of natural colour materials are diminishing from the Kutch. The illegal land acquisition by the industries are behind the problem of raw materials to the potters. After the 2001 earthquake happened in Gujarat, the Kutch region which is ver y rich in the minerals grows into one of the biggest industrial hub in the whole state. This growth continues with the birth of new industries. Now the potters find it hard to get the clay for their craft since many regulations came due to these industrial growths.

Infrastructural problems â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The infrastructural problems include the inconsistent electricity supply which will increase the production period and human effort. The potterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s villages in the Kutch are located in some of the remote places where the main infrastructural problems other than electricity is transportation.

... Hopes The struggle in the local market, decreasing interest among the younger generation and exploitation of the middle man etc. creates a push back to the Kutch potter y. There are lots of hurdles facing by the Kutch potters in the recent scenario. The design inter vention and participation of Non-government organisations in reviving the craft is giving a good hope of a better future for the respective craft. Khamir craft resource centre and Shrujan craft village are two important NGOs working with the potters of Kutch. Shrujan began in 1969 from a famine relief project following a severe drought in the Kutch region. Initially it was a family sponsored project of the Shroff â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, and the initial work was with 20 women. Today, Shrujan has a network of 2,500 women across 85 villages. The organization is a not-for-profit trust, and earnings are ploughed back into the project. Khamir craft resource centre born in 2005 as a joint initiative of Kachchh Nav Nirman Abhiyan and the Nehru Foundation for Development, Khamir was formally registered under the Societies and Trust Acts in the same year. Today, it ser ves as a platform for the promotion of traditional handicrafts and allied cultural practices, the processes involved in their creation, and the preser vation of culture, community and local environments.

... Glossary In the last few decades, these traditional crafts have undergone tremendous change. As local villagers seek cheaper mass produced functional wares, artisans are compelled to find new markets. Fortunately, sophisticated urban markets have welcomed the concept of traditional crafts. However, traditional work must adapt to the new clientele. In addition, since the market has expanded, innovations must now be faster and less subtle. While enterprising, artisans do not always have adequate information about the tastes of new markets. For a myriad of reasons including social attitudes, they do not have access to the better markets. Commercialization in this situation has induced a downward spiral of declining quality. In efforts to revive quality, it has been recognized that new design is needed to make craft sustainable. But conventionally, this has been perceived as a need for design inter vention, in the form of trained designers giving new designs to artisans. The implication is that designers have knowledge, while artisans have skills. When design, or art, is separated from craft, or labour, the artisan is essentially reduced to a labourer, reinforcing the low social status of craft. Further, most commercialized craft aims for quick, standardized and low cost replication. This emulates the factor y model. The strength of hand craft, the personal, handmade quality, is forgotten. The net result is that even when artisans can earn a living by producing contemporar y versions, most do not wish their children to be artisans. Surely, design input is needed for new markets.

... Reference 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Exhibitions-khamir.org www.wikipedia.org www.slideshare.net www.panjokutch.org.in www.indiahistor yspeaks.blogspot.com www.mapsofindia.com www.asanjokutch.com www.scribd.com

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I was travelling a lot alone and meeting new people in the month of January 2017. Walking beyond your comfort zone was always a scary thing to do but I strongly believe that, it will make you courageous to do anything you want in your life. The climate of Kutch was too cold during my visit and I was like in “vibrating mode”, shivering all the day. My little knowledge in Hindi language improved my miming skills while interacting with the people of Kutch. Since the people in villages were not much exposed to the camera, I was able to capture genuine expressions than the posing expressions in the photographs. Above all that, what made me cry while leaving the Kutch was the innocent love and care shown by the Kutch people… Arun.

KERALA STATE INSTITUE OF DESIGN