The Ceramic City
Khurja
The Ceramic City
Khurja A visual ethnography research on Khurja, Uttar Pradesh Special Project by Tapan Kumar | 146250011 Visual Communication Guide Prof. Nina Sabnani
Acknowledgement I wish to express my sincere thanks to my guide Prof. Nina Sabnani for her guidance, support and encouragement throughout the project. I would also like to thank Vikas and his family for their support and letting me stay in their house for such a long time. Their help in understanding a new city and the subject added real value to my project. I wish to thank Mohd. Yunus Khan, the owner of Fancy Emporium who helped me connecting to different important people and pottery makers in the the city of Khurja. I would also like to thank my family and all my friends who have been a constant source of support, encouragement and motivation to me.
Contents Ethnography
3
About Khurja
5
Why Khurja
9
How to reach
15
Breif History
16
Community
18
Methodology
23
CGCRI, Khurja Centre
27
Industry Structure
30
Local Pottery
35
Processes
36
Raw Material
45
Khurchan
50
Heritage Sites
58
Conclusion
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Ethnography Ethnographic research is the observation of groups of people or a culture in the field or, in other words, in a natural setting. Observations are the main form of data collection, but interviews are often used to clarify the researcher’s observations. Clifford Geertz has best described the approach: “It is the kind of material produced by long term mainly qualitative, highly participative, and almost obsessively ne comb eld study in con ned contexts.” (1973:23). Mead has articulated this approach to ethnography. “the human scientist has had to learn how to relate selfknowledge of him-or herself as a multisensory being with a unique history as a member of a speci c culture at a speci c period of ongoing experience and how to include as far as possible this disciplined self-awareness in observations on other lives and in other cultures.” (1976:907).
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About Khurja
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he name Khurja is derived from the Urdu word Kharija.“Kharij” word in hindi language is generally used which means that something got cancelled or rejected. The city was given this name because the land included many swamps and the agricultural possibilities were rare. Khurja is a small town in Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is situated around 85 to 90 km from Delhi. It is a vibrant city. One can experience the richness of its cultural heritage while exploring from the narrow streets of Khurja to the Highway side ceramic emporiums exhibiting beautiful ceramic and pottery Art. Khurja supplies a large portion of the ceramics used in the country, hence it is sometimes called The Ceramics City. Meat industries are set up in good numbers which supplies meat largely in gulf countries. The town is also famous for its special sweet, known as “khurchan”.
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he pottery industry of Khurja makes a variety of ceramic goods such as flower vases, objet d’art, crockery, industrial ceramics like chemical porcelain, ball mill linings and balls, electrical and electronic ceramics like low tension (L.I.) and high tension (H.T.) insulators, spark plugs, sanitary ware, stoneware jars, etc. Crockery and insulators account for the major share of what is produced in Khurja. Ceramic insulators and labortory equipments are made directly by the big factories on special orders. And their production is totally dedicated to outside vendors and industries. But rest of the items can be found very easily in the local markets and Highway side emporiums. Fancy emporium is a famous emporium at Munda Kheda Chowk. There were several varieties of crockeries, vases, Chandeliers, ash trays etc.
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A Door of an old house in a street web of Khurja
Why Khurja
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ince childhood I have been hearing the name Khurja in my family. We often go to my grandfather’s village which is in Khair, Aligarh district in the state of Uttar Pradesh. We always use to go to our village via Khurja and I use to get confused by looking at those high structures of chimneys. I use to call them Qutub Minar. I know that is kind of funny, but thats true. As I was a kid, I always use to ask my father that can we go on the top of these Qutub Minars (Chimneys) and all of my family members use to make fun of it. My parents and relatives always use to stop the car in Khurja and buy those long vases and crockeries for home from those roadside pottery emporiums.We knew that they were comparatively less costly than Delhi. Even though I always knew that Khurja is a place where beautiful pottery work happens on a large scale and in large variety but I never got a chance to explore the place. Now when I got a chance to do Visual ethnography on an Art or a place. I could not resist because its always like I have been using Khurja cups and Mugs in my house, I have been seeing this place but never entered in it. Its like a beautiful door to me which I am seeing frequently moving to and fro but never got a chance to go and open that door and explore whats there inside. 9
Bhagwan Valmiki Chowk Life in a small city always seems to be not so fast or busy. But this is 7.30 am in the morning and everybody is so busy and occupied in their own work that it seems a small busy city. Khurja being an industrial city keeps on working 7 days a week.
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hen I was wandering in the streets of Khurja talking to people and exploring deep into a village. I stopped for a while and looked at his view. I could see a balance between industrialization and life in a rural setting. These smoke emitting chimneys somehow managed to create or maintain their space in the scenery of Khurja with a blend with farms over a long period of time. The sky was hazy but now it has brought Khurja as The Ceramic City on the map of India and in all over the world.
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How to reach
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have already mentioned that Khurja is situated around 85 to 90 Km from Delhi. There are multiple options available through which one can reach Khurja. As my journey was from Delhi to Khurja, I preferred going by my personal vehicle by road. It took me almost 2 and a half hour to reach the ceramic city. From Delhi I took National Highway 24 and then National highway 91 which takes you to Khurja straight away. Bus facility from New Delhi to Khurja is quite frequent which takes minimal price for the journey. There are multiple trains available from Delhi to Khurja junction which are Mahananda Express, Kalka Mail, Amritsar - Katihar Express, Unchahar Express, Farakka Express, Kalindi Express, Brahmaputra Mail. The best train option will be to take Brahmaputra mail from New Delhi to Khurja junction which takes around 1 hour 24 mins to reach. There is no flight option available to Khurja as such.
A man pulling a rickshaw filled with ceramic wares on Nh 91. Its very common when someone enters Khurja.
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Breif History
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hurja pottery industry has a long history. It is believed that Timur Lang, who sacked Delhi in 1938, had a band of soldiers amongst whom were also skilled potters. These potters stayed back and settled down in Multan (now in Pakistan) and near Delhi region.
Amir Timur (1336 - 1405) Image source: orexca.com
These potters’ families moved from Delhi to Khurja during the reign of Mohammed-bin-Tughlak. They were adept making blue pottery with Persian designs and colours. Initially they started doing the red clay pottery and than started introducing blue glaze on the articles made with red clay. They started painting Persian floral designs on the articles with cupric oxide. And after that they apply a soft glaze of glass and borax. The basic raw material was locally available red clay.
At first traditional potters made hookahs (pipes), surahis (water containers) and vessels as well as decorated wares. They attracted the attention of the outside world when two of the master potter from Khurja were invited to the Coronation Exhibition in London in 1911 to demonstrate their skill on potter’s wheel. The grandson of one of the master potters, is one of the leading master potters of Khurja and has won the master craftsman’s award.
17 Image source: wikimedia.org
Community
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hen I made up my mind to do Visual ethnography on this topic I had an idea that the community I will be focussing are the potters and craftsmen which are involved in such rich culture of pottery and ceramic since decades in Khurja. Even though I read a lot about the subject for my secondary research but it is not a good practise to go with a mindset for ethnography. And the same happened with me when I visited Khurja. Even after trying too hard I couldn’t meet much of traditional potters who are not involved in the factory business. The present community in Khurja consists of the workers who are involved in the factory production. These workers involves young boys to old men and women, housewives and even children. These workers earns four to five thousand per month if they are experienced. There are very few potters who work in red clay and create household utensils and item which dedicatedly caters to the local markets and their requirements.
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My Notes
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isiting cards are the best notepad you can find when you talk to business person or a person who is always occupied with some work
Methodology
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alking about my experience in ethnography, I would say I did not had any prior experience in ethnography. But I have interacted with some communities and people for some project research earlier. I had some rough idea that how I would interact and involve people in the conversations. But I also had this in mind that people are different in their own ways and it varies from setting to setting in terms of cultural context and their exposure to the outside world. Because of some of my secondary research I structured a road map for myself to go about in this project. My first step was to meet the government officials of CGCRI (Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute) Khurja. Before that I went to Khurja for field recce and to interact with people. This visit was to have an idea about the city and its prominent sites from where I can collect relevant information about the subject. My first visit directly in the field helped me understanding that on which day markets, offices and industries are kind of busy and on which days I can approach them.
My next visit was directly to CGCRI on a monday morning. I met Dr. C. S. Prasad who is Principal Technical Officer in CGCRI. He explained me the functioning of CGCRI and helped me with some contacts and directions for the project. Meeting him proved to be very benificial to me as he straight away gave me the contact of some of the prominent Emporium owners for example Mohd. Yunus Khan, the owner of Fancy Emporium, Munda Khera. After meeting Dr. C. S. Prasad I straight away headed to Mohd. Yunus. I explained him about my project and tried to convince him to talk about the subject. After talking for sometime when he seemed to be convinced, he took me for a small tour in his emporium and exlained the industrial structure of ceramic and pottery business in Khurja. He explained everything in detail about the families which are involved in the business since decades.He was such a nice person that he gave me so many contacts and leads for the project which helped me a lot throughout the journey of Visual Ethnography on The Ceramic City Khurja.
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Visual Ethnography Gabbar
(Quality Controller) Sista International
Sanjeev Bansal (Owner) Sista International
Heritage sites Markets Nearby Places
Vikas
Gabbar’s younger Brother
Khurchan
Dr. C. S. Prasad CSIR-CGCRI
Md. Yunus Khan Fancy Emporium
Recce (one day) Khurja
Rohit Pandey
Anil Sweets
Raj Ceramic Industries
Processes
Manoj Kumar
Razi Ahmed Khan
Contractors
(Owner) Anil Sweets
Satya Prakash Sharma
(Manoj Kumar’s Father)
Chhabra Industries
Babu Bhai Raj Ceramic Industries
Pottery Workers
Methodology
A
fter meeting some of the important people like Emporium Owners, Pottery Factory owners, factory workers, Quality control people, children and some of the locals. My next step was to find a way to stay in close proximity with these workers who are involved in these pottery and ceramic ware production process. Through one of my personal connection in Khurja I some how managed to find a family who were in our distant relation and their elder son Gabbar is at the position of quality controller in a ceramic factory called Sista International. I tried contacting Gabbar’s younger brother Vikas who helped me a lot to understand the city and was instrumental in my research. The whole family was so much loving and cooperative that they allowed me to stay with them for two weeks. Vikas’s father Mr. Satish Kumar owns a kirana shop in Khurja and her mother Mrs. Rajvati Devi is a housewife. She was very caring and loving lady. She always took good care of my food and comfort. Vikas’s younger brother Aakash Kumar is studying and doing B.com in Khurja only.
Even though the family does not have any past ancestral connection with the pottery and ceramics, but Gabbar being involved in a big production of a big company which deals in all kind of manufacturing, export and supply of ceramic wares. The whole process of this Visual ethnography project came across as a connecting dots and meeting new sources everytime. This kind of approach helped me a lot not only knowing the ceramic industry in Khurja but knowing the city in depth. By now I got a lot of leads in terms of knowing the ceramic and pottery industry. And Vikas helped me in knowing Khurja as a heritage city. I could say that vikas played a guide in khurja and took me to various sites which are considered to be the oldest and famous sites in Khurja. He even introduced me to the oldest and the famous Khurchan Shop which was initially by the name of Bhattu Mal Khurchan Valey and now it is famous by the name of Anil Sweets. I met the three generations of the Anil Sweets. I bought one Kg of the sweet for Vikas’s family my family when I was leaving.
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CGCRI, Khurja Centre
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he Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Kolkata established it’s Khurja Centre in August 1981 under an assurance for continuous financial support from the Government of Uttar Pradesh. This Centre is functioning to cater to the needs of developing creaming and allied industries in the state, particularly to the Ceramic Industries in the Small Scale and Rural Sector. Khurja having a 600 year old tradition of pottery manufacturing has now become a centre of Ceramic Industry having more than 494 units in the small-scale sector and one of the largest whiteware clusters in India. In it’s journey of nearly Three Decades, This Centre of CGCRI has contributed to a great extent in the modernization and All round Development of Ceramic Industries in Khurja on energy efficiency & Cluster Development.
•Training cum demonstration Facilities in Stoneware/ Bone China Ware/Glass Beads Making/ Refractories Manufacturing. Presently Institute is working on following parameters for the up-gradation of white ware cluster: - Quality & Certification. - Process Improvement. - Consistency in Product. - Firing Rejection. - Energy Saving. - Cost Analysis. - Low Thermal Mass Kiln Cars. - Knowledge Enhancement of Workman & Supervisors. - Product Design Improvements. - Awareness on packing, Calibration & Export Promotion.
Infrastructure Facilities: •Chemical Analysis. •Physical Analysis. •Firing Facilities. •Grinding Facilities. •Pressing Facilities. •Trouble Shoot Team. Technical Information.
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Industry Structure
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here are four types of pottery units in Khurja not including the local potter who produces red clay goods for the local markets. Most of the other pottery units produce for the outside market. The units in the industry could be classified differently. The first and the largest category is made up to independent pottery units, which are equipped with their machinery and manufacture their own processed clay called body and glazes and have their own forming and firing facilities. some of them also do decoration work on their products. There are more than 300 such units which are self sustained. The second category consists of dependent units which have no processing and firing facilities of their own. They obtain the processed body, glazes and other raw material from outside, makes the green wares at their units and after applying the glazes, get the wares fired at the kilns provided by the Uttar Pradesh Small Industries Corporation Potteries Ltd. and pay a nominal rent. There are over 120 registered dependent potters in Khurja.
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here are almost 20 units which only manufacture the processed body and glazes and sell the to the dependent units which do not have these facilities. While the Government Centre is supposed to do this, dependent potters require credit which the Centre cannot provide and there private manufactures are able to do good business. There are also units which only undertake the decoration of the pottery articles on a piece-rate or job works basis. Sanjeev Bansal the owner of Sista International is one of those potters who belongs to the decoration, quality check and packaging of the job. Sista International is the company that decorates mugs and cups, then check quality before distribution.
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Image source: blogs.tribune.com
Another category goods in Khurja is formed by the local potters who do not makes goods for the outer market, but only for the local market. There are colonies of local Kumbhar in the city and in the surrounding villages who make large containers for the water and grains, Kulhads (clay cups) which are sold to halwais (sweets sellers) and sakuras (small plates) bought for feasts and weddings. These traditional potters also make plates which are no longer in demand because of plastic and paper goods available now.
Local Pottery
W
hile the demand for the pottery is very high and growing, the goods produced by the local village have less demand than before. The village potter in Khurja is facing competition from plastic, paper and dried leaf plates and bowls. There was almost 25 per cent fall in the demand for their goods even in local villages because of the paper and plastic plates and saucers. Even though domestic goods were cheaper, there is more prestige in using plastic goods and these have become status symbol. The local potters who used the red clay locally available has not made any advance in technology from the government. The Khadi and Village Industries Commission, which was set up to help village artisans, introduced white-ware pottery in the villages instead of promoting local methods. This venture failed miserably for a host of reasons: there was no market in the villages for these goods, the village potter did not have resources for raw material or fuel and , in any case, could not find avenues for selling the goods produced in the local market. 35
Image source: voxpopulisphere
Process In Pottery Industry
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n most of the big ceramic units, the raw material is processed on the premises with the help of machines called jaw crushers, edge runners, clay blunger, etc. The processes in the pottery industry of Khurja are many depending upon the goods made. One commonly used method is by throwing clay on the potter’s wheel. This is the traditional method of making red clay potteries throughout India. In Khurja, the traditional potters even now use the kick-wheels for making decorative potteries. The potters use his hand pressure to shape the body. The process is wholly manual. Another method is called beating or patting method. This consists of formation of clay ware by beating a roughly thrown piece of leatherhard clay with a wooden beater to the required shape and thickness. This process reduces the porosity of the clay body and makes it homogeneous and strong. In Khurja, this process is used only for making the saggars or
containers in which the unbaked clay goods are put before firing in the kiln. The sagger body is put on the outside of a wooden frame and beaten into the required shape and thickness by the wooden beater.
37 Image source: http://www.dsource.in
Slip Casting
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n this technique, A mould is prepared with plaster of paris. The slip consists of semiviscous slurry of ceramic is pored into the mould. The excess liquid is poured out after some time. The inside of the mould becomes covered with a thin layer of the body after the water is soaked by the plaster mould. After sometime, the layer becomes hard and is removed from the mould. It is them finished by scrapping off the extra clay, smoothened with fine sandpaper and , finally, with a soft wet sponge. This method is also used for making complicated shapes such as soup spoons. In Khurja, this method is used widely for making chemical porcelain as well as crockery and tableware. For both the slip method and jigger and jolly method, units make their own mould of plaster of paris. But not more than three of four castings can be done from one mould efficiently. Making articles of complicated shapes or large sizes requires the use of several mould for making the component parts which are subsequently joined. 39
Jigger and jolly
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ost of the crockery, plates, cups and saucers, etc., are shaped on the jiggar and jolly machines. The Jigger and jolly process is used to produce hollow single shapes on a mass scale. A jiggar consists of a vertical shaft having a cupshaped wheel-head which receives the mould made by plaster of paris. It is mostly power-driven and is provided with a foot-brake. Some units produce jiggered items without using power, by pedalling. A jolly consists of an inclined arm mounted on a pivot with a balancing counterpoise on one arm. The opposite arm carries a profile which is an iron tool to give shape to the head and pressed to shape by the profile by lowering the arm of the jolly. A separate mould is fixed to the jigger head for every shape. All the ceramic units in Khurja use this process in making crockery. This technique, however, cannot make the complete product. Handles for teapots, jogs, etc are made by the slip casting and then joined to these articles. 41
Green ware drying in a pottery factory.
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he green-wares are dried in rooms using a hot blast of air. But by and large, drying is done in the shade by keeping the tree-wares on the floor outside or by stacking them in shelves for a few days. Once the goods are dried they are scraped for any rough edges and smoothened with water. If they are hand-painted or decorated otherwise, they are given over to the painter and decorators. The dried goods which are not painted are sent for direct glazing.
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Image source: http://www.dsource.in
Image source: http://www.dsource.in
Raw Material
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nitially, Khurja used the red clay for their goods. Now, the raw material comes from outside. The China clay comes from Rajmahal in Bihar, Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Chandia in Madhya Pradesh and Bikaner in Rajasthan. The ball clay is available only in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala. The feldspars comes from Rajasthan and quartz comes from Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The main source of fuel, coal from the collieries of the eastern coal fields situated in Bihar and West Bengal. The independent units get their coal against directly from the mines. The dependent units are allotted the requisite quantity of coal from the coal dump of the pottery Development Centre for firing in the rental kilns.
options. All shades of blue and black are achieved by Cobalt or copper oxide. Copper and chromium oxide is used for green colours. Brown colour is created by the use of Iron oxide. Pink and Violet colour is created by the use of manganese oxide. Most of the Khurja potter uses the commercially available glaze but very few of them still prepares their own blue glazes and creates blue pottery. They do not want to share their secret of preparing blue glazes because of the competition.
The basic raw material for the unglazed pots are feldspar, quartz, plastic clay and china clay, marble or calcite, zinc oxide, barium carbonate, etc. In Khurja, mostly raw and opaque glasses are used which mature at medium temperatures. Different colouring oxides are used for different colour 45
T
he technology used in Khurja pottery is very mediocre. There are only single fired wares. They generally uses the raw glaze insoluble in water. The glazing is generally applied by dipping the fried green wares in glaze slip. Spraying is also used in glazing process but in case of some decorative ware. Fir various artistic designs, the colours are generally painted by the artist’s hands.
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When the goods are painted or glazed, they are then baked in Kilns which are coal fired, downdraught. There are kilns available in different sizes which makes convenient to pick the kiln according to the quantity of the wares to be baked. It saves fuel and coal because large kilns require more fuel. The wares are packed in saggars which prevent the wares from the direct contact with flames and fumes. Otherwise it will spoil the colour and glaze of the products. They also help to keep glazed articles in position without sticking to each other. The temperature of the kilns are always the highest at the top of the kiln which is around 1250-1280 C (for insulators) and 12001500 C for crockery. 49
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Khurchan
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Khurchan
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ince the very beginning I had it vey clear in my mind that I have to search for Khurja’s famous sweet decicacy Khurchan. Khurchan is a milk sweet whic is prepared after condensing milk layer after layer by continously heating. Many of the people (including me) has a misconception in their minds that Khurja is being named after Khurchan. So it was part of the plan to include Khurchan in my ethnography report. Vikas took me to the inner market in the city where was very much resembling to Chandani Chowk in Delhi. And finally we meet Manoj Kumar Sharma Ji (owner Anil Sweets Khurchan Vale) Khurja’s famous Khrchan sweet shop. I visited him for three days continously. First day when I visited the shop in the market. I was shocked that it was such small in size. I introduced myself to Manoj ji and started talking about Khurchan initially. He was sitting in his small shop. I sit with him for sometime to observe how famous is the shop and how many people actually buy this sweet.
Within 2 hours, he was finished with all his Khurchan that he prepared dedicatedly for the day. I asked him that how much you prepare for a day. He told me that as we have huge Muslim community in Khurja. Muslims has a huge demand for Khurchan. I prepare almost 20 to 25 kilograms of Khurchan every day and it finished on the same day. He is happy with his everyday earning. Then I started discussing about his shop and how old is the shop. He also told me that how competition is increasing day by day. He said our shop is almost 80 years old and it is the oldest Khurchan Shop in Khurja. His Grandfather started this shop and his father Shree Satya Prakash Sharma build it up and flourished it and then it became famous by the name of Sattu Mal Khurchan Vale. After that his elder brother Anil Kumar Sharma got involved in the business. And the shop named after his name when he died in the age 35. Now Manoj Kumar ji is continuing the family business. Their opponent are Bhartu Mal Khurchan Vale right in the next street.
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ext day he promised me to show the process of making it and called me at 6 am early morning. His helper (Lakhmi Saini) prepared and fire the bhatti and cleaned up all the utensils. He told me that we use pure buffalo milk to make this. Mother day or processed milk is not used.
When the utensil was hot, he slowly poured the milk on it and start moving it continoudly with a flat steep spatulla continously. If he would not do that, the milk will get stuck on the utensil and the inner layer will get burnt and the color will become brown. It does not taste good. While all this process I asked him about the name Khurja, how it was kept or is it because of the word Khurchan?
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akhmi denied as he did not have any idea about the name of Khurja. After continous heating of milk. It was now in the form of condensed layers of milk but extremely hot. After sometime Manoj Kumar ji took the utensil and started cutting the whole layer into pieces with the spattula. Hecut the whole layer into pieces very gently and started picking it up and putting it in the sweet box. I could feel it fresh and soft.
While he was gently picking the pieces of Khurchan. He was also spreading the sugar powder mixed with cardamom in it for a mild sweetness and an essence of cardamom. After preparing the whole box, he spread finely shredded dry fruits above it and make it presentable.
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Manoj Kumar spreading sugar and cardamom
Sh. Manoj Kumar with his father Satya Prakash Sharma and nephew
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Heritage Sites
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Nav Durga Shakti Mandir
Khurja’s famous Navdurga Shakti Mandir. This temple has beautiful influence of mirror work and all avatars of Durga.
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NREC College, Khurja
NREC College Originally called Natthimal Ramsahay Edward Coronation, and now called Natthimal Ramsahay Educational Courses (name changed in 2012) is one of the oldest colleges in India and offers various courses to students leading up to PhDs. 69
Jatiya Bal Vihar Inter College
Jatiya Bal Vihar Inter College is the oldest Govt. Co-ed school of Khurja. Interesting story about this school is that it runs both CBSE as well as U.P Board syllabus. 71
J.A.S Inter College
J.A.S Inter College is founded by Late Rai Bahadur Seth Janki Prasad during British rule and opened by Sir J.S.Meston in the year 1905. 73
Observation and Analysis
When I started my journey I had a very clear vision for this visual ethnography project in Khurja. I had a plan that I will go to Khurja and will focus on the beautiful ceramic and pottery craft of Khurja. I can say that I had my mind set that I will find a traditional potters family which are involved in the business of pottery since ages in Khurja. I can say that by then I was standing outside the river and was assuming its depth. Accordingly I was making plans. But when I dived into the river than I discovered some amazing things, some heart breaking truths and sometimes found a huge shift my whole approach for the ehnography project . I entered Khurja and started meeting people associated in that business. I some how realised that all the tradition potters are now big industrialist in Khurja. I can meet them but can not live with them and interfare their lives. I met a lot of people associated with this craft. I figured out that there are different segments of businessmen. I met all of them. What I am trying to say is that, my approach and way of looking at
the subject was constantly changing and growing as I was gaining more and more information about it. In this project I have learnt that a person should have done some sort of secondary research before going for this project but a lot is dependent on your Primary research. Khurja , The ceramic city have seen a lot of changes since its origin in the ceramic world. It is now more of an Industrial area rather than a craft community. Those who know traditional pottery or craft, now they are big people in Khurja and they do not do it or their children do not practise it any more. I have learnt how to meet people and how to approach them. People being so busy in the fast pace of life do not have time for their relatives and in some cases for family also. In that scenario a person like me from another city wants to disturb them and ask them quentions. I always kept these things in my mind. What to ask, When to ask, How much to ask and what is the correct time to stop asking questions and leave. I enjoyed the whole process very much.
After meeeting artists, Emporium owner, Industrialist, common people, labours, contractors I can say that my understanding for Khurja, for the Craft and most importantly for the people have increased substancially. Khurja as a city is very small geographically but like any other city it has its culture. A culture which is developed after a constant interactions between Hindu and Muslims over years. And people living in Khurja have adopted certain things from each others culture. For example, Khurchan is a delicacy in Khurja which is enjoyed by everybody. Even though it is prepared by a Brahmin family but mostly it is consumed by Muslims. I visited Khurja during Christmas and right outside the street where I was living, was Church. I have seen people from all castes, religion and coloyr celebrating Christmas and getting their children to Church in Santa Claus dress with beard. I have tried many sweet and food in Khurja. Khurja as a city is unique in multiple ways. Not only it is famous for ceramic business. Besides that, there is a lot to see in Khurja and to experience.
In this project I can not say that it is a successful visual ethnography project. But for me the enriching experience is quite an achievement. Finally after so many years i have managed to see Khurja and experience it through a designers eye. Or I can say that I never lost the eye of that child what I was in my childhood and explored the door to the best of my capabilities and resources.
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References
wikipedia.org/wiki/Khurja www.khurja.co.in www.potteryindia.com/GlazedPottery/khurja http://indianceramicsociety.org/clusters_chapter www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhBRvb0iu1w S. Wal (Vol-3, Child Labour in Varius Industries), Retrieved by books.google.co.in www.thehindu.com
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