VISAKHAPATNAM; In Kummari Veedhi, a small settlement of tribal potters tucked amid the forested hills of Madagada village in Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district, life continues to revolve around clay and fire.
The rhythmic hum of the potter’s wheel turns not just for livelihood, but to keep a generations-old tradition alive despite dwindling clay resources, erratic rainfall and rising cost of living.
During Deepavali and Sankranti, the potters mould diyas, pots, flower vases, and tiny money banks, travelling to nearby villages to exchange their handmade wares for rice, crops or whatever people can offer.
The barter system, long vanished elsewhere, still quietly thrives in this remote corner of the Eastern Ghats.
“This is our way of life. All I know about life is pottery,” says Vanjirya Sukra, a 60-year-old potter, as his hands glide effortlessly over the spinning wheel. Sukra explains that villagers collect pure mud clay from the nearby gedda (stream) as their main raw material.
To colour their creations, they boil mango twigs and wood in water to make natural dye. Over time, the community has improved efficiency by fitting their traditional potter’s wheel with ball bearings.
“Days have changed a lot — climate, demand, interest,” Sukra reflects. “Heavy rains during unseasonal periods and rapid urbanisation have made clay collection difficult. Though we still find good clay in forest streams, I fear it may not be the same in the years to come.”
Another villager, Govardhan, says, “We’ve learnt to live with the changes. We bake the pots when it doesn’t rain, and when it rains, we store them in our huts.” Speaking about their living conditions, he adds that though a basic medical facility operates round the clock, electricity lasts only a few hours a day, and tap water flows for just one hour. “Every day, we collect water from the drain for our use,” he says, matter-of-factly.
Their centuries-old barter system continues to link them with neighbouring villages. “We make all kinds of earthenware and take them to neighbouring villages during festivals,” says Ganapathy, another potter. “In return, people give us farm produce like rice, pulses, or vegetables. If they have nothing to offer, they give us money instead. We also sell our wares at weekly shandies, which is when we earn a little more.”
Madagada, home to about 30 to 35 houses of the Kummari community, also sees potters set up demonstrations at the scenic Madagada viewpoint during winter, when tourists gather to watch clouds roll over the hills. Visitors often stop to watch the wheel spin — an ancient rhythm of earth and motion.
As Deepavali nears, the potters of Madagada hope more people will choose handmade earthen lamps and pots — not out of nostalgia, but to keep the craft alive. “When people choose our clay diyas,” Sukra says softly, “they also choose to keep our tradition spinning.”
