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Hands that keep the potter’s wheel spinning in Mangaluru

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Diwali is the festival of lights and we bring home clay diyas to make our Diwali bright and beautiful. But what about the hands that make these little lamps for us? 

A narrow lane near Marigudi temple, Urwa takes us to the world of clay lamps. This is the world of 66-year-old Bhagirathi. Her wrinkled expert hands have been making our Diwali brighter since decades.

The life of Bhagirathi is not as bright as the result of her hard work. Having lost her husband and children years ago, Bhagirathi now lives all alone, her life revolves around her dilapidated house and her Diyas. It surely comes as an irony that the hands that make diyas have to fight out the gloom of loneliness, but she seems to have learnt to accept her reality.

Hailing from Ambagilu in Udupi, Bhagirathi moved to Mangaluru decades ago after marriage and has been into pottery for almost 45 years. As the festival season draws near, the work picks up pace as Bhagirathi, along with some of her family members starts making clay products to meet the demand.

Her family, called Subraya family, hailing from the Andhra Pradesh border region is believed to have been in the pottery business for the past 600 years.

Speaking to Newskarnataka, Bhagirathi, one of the oldest potters in the family said, “I learnt the craft from my forefathers and now I make my living solely with the help of pottery making throughout the year. I order mud from Polali every year at the cost of Rs 20,000 and also firewood and paddy straw for making these clay products. During the festival season we get orders from across the city and I sell it to a few shops. I sell small diyas at an average rate of Rs 3 and when it comes to the market it costs Rs 10. “

After pounding the clay, Bhagirathi moulds the wet clay and after being shaped, she keeps the wet diyas and other clay items aside to dry.

Subhash, one of her distant relatives and a retired KSRTC employee who has seen Bhagirathi since his childhood says, “She is one of the most brilliant persons who designs every product even at this age in our family. Her enthusiasm inspires us and we too join her. We have our families running pottery businesses in Mangaluru, Udupi, Beluvai and Bantwal. The children and the next generation are not interested in pottery and have taken up other lucrative businesses. “

Rajesh one of the potters, who has worked with Bhagirathi for the last 10 years, said, “I am into this business from the last 25 years and we make water pots, incense burners, artificial birds’ nests, kalasa, diyas, roti tawas etc. Lobana or the incense burner is in great demand. Most of our family members have stopped the pottery business and right now out of 20 families, only four of us have been continuing the age-old tradition.”

When the next generation have taken to other lucrative sources of income, Bhagirathi and some of the family members have taken up the baton to keep the potter’s wheel spinning and keep the dying tradition alive.

Hands that keep the potter's wheel spinning in Mangaluru
Hands that keep the potter's wheel spinning in Mangaluru
Hands that keep the potter's wheel spinning in Mangaluru
Hands that keep the potter's wheel spinning in Mangaluru
Hands that keep the potter's wheel spinning in Mangaluru
Hands that keep the potter's wheel spinning in Mangaluru
Hands that keep the potter's wheel spinning in Mangaluru
Hands that keep the potter's wheel spinning in Mangaluru
Hands that keep the potter's wheel spinning in Mangaluru
Hands that keep the potter's wheel spinning in Mangaluru
Hands that keep the potter's wheel spinning in Mangaluru
Hands that keep the potter's wheel spinning in Mangaluru
Hands that keep the potter's wheel spinning in Mangaluru
Hands that keep the potter's wheel spinning in Mangaluru

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Divya Cutinha

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