A 25-kilometer drive from Bengaluru brings you to this charming village, Narayanapura, nestled between sylvan farms and urban pockets. The air here has a soothing earthy odour, and its small streets display the works of its residents, the Narayanapura potters.
Narayanapura and pottery have a long history dating back eight decades, when the first families of potters settled here. Today, this village is becoming increasingly well-known for its clay artisanry.
Rising with the sun
Pottery work, which combines skill, creativity, and physical labour, begins early in the morning, which is also the best time to catch the potters at their wheels, telling their stories. Nandish Kumar, a local potter, is well-versed in his village’s history.
“Pottery is the principal occupation in Narayanapura. There are at least 25 households still practising the trade of our forefathers, with all members, including women, taking part in the process,” he mentions.
Almost every dwelling in Narayanapura breathes pottery, with batches of freshly-fashioned pots, tea kulhads, hundis, lamps, dhoop-stands, plates, and other clay creations being kept out to dry in the sun. Munchinappa, another potter, is busy firing up the furnace of a kiln. “This task alone takes at least six hours, before the kiln heats up to the required temperature, and bakes our wares to perfection,” he says, adding that the fire’s intensity is maintained by a constant supply of eucalyptus leaves and twigs.
While the potters are busy through the year, their work is defined by the flavours of the season. Up until the end of August, they were crafting clay idols of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Gowri for Ganesha Chaturthi, and have since shifted to making diyas for Deepavali. “Today, it’s encouraging to watch people’s interest in things organic and earthy, even for festivals. That’s a boon for us as we make clay Ganesha idols and other naturally-derived products,” says Babu, whose deft fingers are picking up one dhoop-stand after another from his wheel.
His father, Munikrishnappa, explains that they used to make flower pots as well, but stopped due to a lack of space and demand, preferring to stick to seasonal trends.
Pottery is not as simple as it appears, requiring single-minded dedication, logistical planning, and favourable weather conditions. These potters obtain their clay from lakes at a depth of 2 feet. It should be sticky but elastic enough to be shaped into any shape.
When the clay is caked, it is left to dry for 24 hours. At this point, water is added and thoroughly mixed before being spread and wrapped in plastic sheets and stored. This process stops the moisture within the clay, preparing it for modelling. After each work is completed, it is mostly finished by women, and each batch of items is dried in the sun for a few hours before being baked in the kiln. Today, Narayanapura has attracted some much-needed attention from art lovers, customers, and pottery enthusiasts.
The village’s clay works are also shipped to retail markets in Bengaluru. While a few families have set up makeshift shops near their homes, one also comes across city youngsters who are here to try their hand at the wheel.
Tale of the pot
According to the World History Encyclopedia, “pottery is the first synthetic material ever created by humans,” echoing the beginnings of civilisation. The earliest evidence of pottery manufacture was discovered at the Japanese archaeological site ‘Odai Yamamoto,’ where fragments from a specific vessel were dated to 16,500-14,920 years ago.
However, in India, pottery can be traced back to the days of the Indus Valley civilisation, whose pots revealed several aspects of its people’s daily lives. Almost every culture on the planet has some fascinating stories spilling out of its pottery.
