A place in the heart of the city that still oozes rustic charm and reminds one of the bygone times is Pottery Town in Bengaluru which is home to generations of clay workers. As it is off-season — when they are not working on making idols and clay items for festivals — only biryani bowls and tea kullads were seen fresh off the wheel, baking in the sun on the porch of every house.
Rajshekar (45) who has been a potter for more than 15 years and is representing the fifth generation of his family in the profession, spoke about the business and how clay cookware is seeing a resurgence. He says, “The pottery business depends on the market’s demands. Currently, there is a demand for biryani bowls, tea kulhads (handle-less clay mugs) and lassi glasses both by five-star hotels and pocket-friendly restaurants. Bengaluru needs 50,000 kulhads a day and I make around 1,000 daily.”
