Handmade in India

TERRACOTTA AND POTTERY
CRAFTSMEN IN AURANGABAD and Ahmednagar
generally make clay objects for domestic and ritual use
during festivals like Makar Sankranti and Diwali.Children
are given toys like clay bulls as the symbolic representation
of Bail-pola,a harvest festival of Maharashtra in which
bullocks are bathed,colourfully decorated and led in
processions.The potters also make the tandoor,a traditional
earthen stove,now used for making roti ,flat-bread,in hotels
and restaurants.For making the tandoor,a flat base is first
prepared and then coiled layers are added for the necessary
elevation.Shaping and finishing it requires dexterity to give
the walls an even thickness before firing in the
aawa,kiln.Used rubber tyres are added along with sawdust
into the kiln and once the required temperature has been
reached,the kiln is covered with waste pieces of fired
articles and sand to trap the smoke for the black colour.
Production Clusters
Aurangabad
district:
Aurangabad
1. Diya,small shallow clay dishes,thrown on the wheel
are kept in the sun for drying before being
fired,Aurangabad.
2. Pottery is traditionally a craft practiced only by
men,Ahmednagar.
3. Foot scrubbers made in Terracotta.
4. Clay figurines from Nagpur.
5. Glazed diya,lamp stand made for Diwali
festival.Homes are cleaned to symbolically invite
Lakshmi,the goddess of wealth and she is
worshipped with the lighting of lamps.
6. Small terracotta containers called bodke used for
drinking tea.
Products
Math-biggest pot
Ghagar-small pot
Gadage-smaller pot
Bodke-smallest pot
Panti(diya)-lamp
Kindi-flowerpot
Ranjhan-big
container
Tandoor-earthern
oven
Chula-traditional
stove
Goulan-figurine
Ghoda-horse
Toys
Tools
Wheel
Phali-wooden beater
Gunda-metal block
Lakadi-stick
Aawa-kiln