SAMBALPUR: As temperature soared in the city, the demand for earthen pots has increased. The good old earthen pots are selling like hot cakes because of its natural cooling quality and health benefits. The demand for ‘matka’ is evident from the several earthen pot sellers who have opened stalls in every nook and corner of the city.
Earthen pots of various sizes and designs are on high demand, not only among mid segment of the society but also the upscale families of the city. Besides the regular pots, the demand for pots fitted with taps is high because of the hygiene and convenience.
According to Mahadev Pal, a potter from West Bengal who put up his stall near Modipara area here, the sudden rise in demand for pots is because of a new trend and not heat. Mahadev said people are falling back on the traditional practice and are willing to give pot water a try over refrigerator which cools water faster but has side effects.
Priced between Rs 200 and Rs 350, Mahadev said he sells a maximum of 20 pots a day. Earlier, people used to bargain a lot, but there has not been much bargaining so far, he added. While the demand is likely to increase as the temperature soars in May, Mahadev said customers are looking for fancier pots and he plans to import colourful ware with floral patterns soon. On the other hand, Mohit Agarwal, an entrepreneur and dealer of Mitticool Products in the city, said apart from a range of earthenware products, demand for water filters and water bottles made of clay is high throughout the year.
Though Mitticool products are priced higher than the normal clay products, there has been no dip in demand, he claims. However, lack of awareness and fake products have been hampering the business. The fancy pots which Mahadev is planning to import are actually copies of Mitticool, he added.
Among the several products in demand is the Teracotta Refrigerator by Mitticool. Though the 50-litre
capacity fridge runs without electricity, it keeps food as well as water cool for long hours. While he has sold five units of these so far, he believes it would induce more demand this season.