The younger generation from Kulalar communities are moving away from the craft that has been practiced for years.

Abirami Sekar | 13th January 2025, Chennai

Jayaraj P., 70, a resident of Arani village in Periyapalayam, dedicated over 50 years of his life to pottery, a craft that ended with him as the last practitioner in the family. Jayaraj’s son lost interest in the craft as the profit was low. He now works as a carpenter. “From carpentry, I get around Rs 1,000 daily, which is enough to cover the family’s expenses. But with pottery, I barely make somewhere between Rs 300 and Rs 500 per day,” said Prakasam, 45, Jayaraj’s son.

Pottery, practised by the Kulalar community in Tamil Nadu, has declined over time in the state. Out of the 40 lakh people who make up the pottery community, only 4 lakh are engaged in pot-making now, said Sema Narayanan, President of Tamil Nadu Pottery Workers (Kulalar) and Unorganized Workers Association.

Pots are stacked up in the backyard of a potter’s home before they are sold in the market. Photo credit: Abirami Sekar

The decline is led by the younger generation who are exploring other career opportunities as pottery does not generate sufficient income.

“I don’t have any big wishes like building my own house or buying land. I worked hard, and with the income I made from pottery, I helped my son get a better education”, said Anandan T., 70, who works from a rented house with insufficient space for his craft. His son, Vijay A., 40, now works as an engineer at CJ Polytech Pvt. Ltd, a plastic mould manufacturing company in Chennai and takes care of his family’s expenses. “My father used to say that no one gives a bride to a pot-maker and always asked me to study well,” said Vijay.

Potter stamps the clay to bring it to a right texture suitable for making pots. Photo credit: Abirami Sekar

In Periyapalayam, Kasthuri A., 56, supports her husband’s pottery work. Drying pots under the sun is a race against unexpected rains, forcing her to move them back to the shed repeatedly. “At my age, it causes pain and body aches. I can’t expect my daughter-in-law to help, as she manages the household and kids,” she said, referring to the demanding nature of the craft.

The drying of pots under the sun is followed by their burning, also called baking. The process helps to make the pots stronger. In 2007, the Tamil Nadu government banned the pit firing of pots due to pollution. After the regulation came into effect, pot makers of Aynavaram, Royapettah, Virugambakkam and Valluvar Kottam in Tamil Nadu stopped pot making as without pit firing, pots cannot be made. Potters in these areas now source the pots and sell them in shops, adding to the declining population of potters.

Potters are burning the pots also referred as baking, a process to make the pots strong. Photo credit: Abirami Sekar

Potter families face a dearth of income during the rainy season as they are unable to dry the pots. The Tamil Nadu government introduced the monsoon maintenance fund in 2016 to provide Rs 5,000 of rain relief. Artisans said they have not received these funds for years.

Dhilli G., 65, a pot maker for 50 years, who has a 25-year-old handicapped son said he has not received any subsidy from the government for years. “The Village Administrative Officer (VAO) needs to take necessary steps for funds to reach us”, he said. “Even if the government is shelling out subsidies to the artisans, there are not enough authorities to monitor and ensure it reaches us.”

Potter using traditional pottery wheel to make pots for over 50 years now. Photo credit: Abirami Sekar

Around 25 years ago, the electric pottery wheel was introduced in Tamil Nadu which made pot makers life easier as they could make 60 to 70 pots per week while with traditional pottery wheels, they could make only 30 to 40 pots per week.

Vinoth K., a 39-year-old potter, said that running electric potter’s wheels is expensive because of electricity costs. He said that the government could help by giving free electricity for their work. He also said that about 30% of pots get damaged or broken during the making process, which causes big losses and the state government could support potters by giving money or subsidies to cover these breakage costs.

Potter communities can improve their work by forming cooperative societies and self-help groups. This can help them solve problems and keep their craft alive, said Sema Narayanan. “The potters face high costs because they get raw materials from different places. To reduce these costs and protect their livelihoods, the government could give subsidies to help them.” Schools and colleges could conduct pottery workshops to teach students about this traditional art form, Narayanan said.