THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The pongala season is back breathing life into the pottery business. With Attukal Pongala approaching, the business has seen a steady rise for potters across the district. Vinitha S, an employee at Krishna Pottery in Thozhukkal, Neyyattinkara said that clay pots are in high-demand this season. “We need comparatively less clay to make pots.
It is difficult to find labourers in the sector but the semi-automated facilities are a relief. Orders are placed in large numbers and often, we’re unable to keep up with the demand. Our primary concern is the limited amount of clay received every year. The Geology Department provides only 10 loads for one pottery unit, which isn’t sufficient. We require 50 loads of clay for ours,” she said.
For a long time, Thozhukkal has been a focal point for potters. They make pots of various sizes -- small, medium-sized ones for half-a-kilogram of rice and bigger pot s for one kilogram. Like Thozhukkal, a few potters are left in Pamamcode. Several were traditionally dependant on the business but drifted away when it hit a low.
Vijaykumar, a potter, said the pongala season is a silver lining. “I sell my pots near Iranimuttam. After the festival, the remaining pots are sold to shops. There was a period when we had to sit idle without clay for over seven months. Now we are getting back on track. I have received a good number of orders for pongala this time,” he said. Hundreds of pots for the pongala are being dried under the sun outside the shed.