Those mud-filled hands, tired arms and fingers work skillfully in creating the most magnificent products that can be made out of mud, stones and a large wheel. Sitting on a pavement along Kodambakkam High Road with unsold and baked clay pots is S K Govindasamy, a potter who has been churning out pots as a family tradition for the last 36 years.
Ask any terracotta or clay pot dealer nearby to talk about pottery, and they instantly point to the one man — Govindasamy.
A well-known name in the ‘kuzhavar sangam’ (potters group) in Valluvar Kottam, he wants to teach people the art of making pots. Many educational institutions in the city invite him to conduct workshops and teach their students pottery.
“Pottery should be taught in educational institutions for at least two hours a week to learn it,” asserts Govindasamy, like a confident teacher of fine arts.
He does not use the electric wheel and makes pots in the traditional way — using the large potter’s wheel. “Practice is the key to making good pots; that’s why I make at least 30 to 40 pots four times a week. It takes all day to make pots. I rest for only about 4 hours a day. I make Ganesh dolls, small lamps for karthigai deepam and flower pots. People prefer the flower pots during the rainy season to replace their damaged old pots,” he explains.
Govindasamy rues that he is unable to make decorative pieces of clay as he has minimal work space. “As potters, we need a bigger place to fire the clay to mould it and dry it. Such a space is not available within the city,” he says, and adds, “Since the potters cannot make such products here in the city, they bring it from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata and Andhra Pradesh.”
He is worried of the alarming increase in the number of potters who are quitting the art for other livelihoods. “Pottery seems to be losing its shine and importance. Initially pottery was done by 40 lakh artisans but now there are hardly a lakh. And those who make pots the old fashioned way are the people affected most by this,” he points out.
He sells his pots from Rs 30 to Rs 70 depending upon the size and most of the time lives in uncertainty. “I am never sure of how much I will earn in a day. Sometimes it’s Rs 2,000 a day… and there are days when not even a single pot gets sold. It’s an uncertain business, at best,” he asserts from his life's experience.
Having learned pottery from his father and grandfather, Govindasamy does not want his children to take up this art.
“I’ve struggled a lot for years making pots. With meagre savings, I’ve ensured my children are educated. They each have a degree in engineering so that they can lead better lives. I am also hoping they will take care of me when I am old,” he says.
Govindasamy dreams of making the pottery business flourish, and lead a more affluent life. “The State government should help potters like me by providing a proper place to set up our work spots. With help from the public and the government, there is still hope for traditional pottery to flourish,” he says hopefully, getting ready for the next day's load of work that keeps driving him.