TIRUCHY: It is that time of the year when potters are usually in their busiest season but the artisanal community at Tiruchy’s Melakondayapettai and Keelkondayampettai are instead left busy worrying over demand for their seasonal earthenware dropping by “around 30%” this Pongal.
Such weakening demand adding to the issues of rising clay costs and restrictive extraction norms is turning what was once lightly regarded a seasonal slowdown into a deeper livelihood crisis, say the potters. R Saroja (62), a second-generation potter from Melakondayapettai, said escalating input costs have made the trade increasingly unviable.
"In 2023, a unit of clay weighing about 1,000 to 1,200 kg cost Rs 3,000. Now it is close to Rs 5,000," she said. With earnings shrinking, two of her sons have left pottery to find work as drivers. She, however, continues with her craft albeit on a “much smaller scale” with help from her daughters-in-law. The downturn is evident during Pongal, when demand for earthenware usually peaks. "Ten years ago, we used to make at least 1,000 pots before Pongal. This year, we made only around 200," Saroja said.
According to S R K Ramu (47), president of the local potters' association, policy changes introduced over the past three years have significantly increased production costs. "Potters are now allowed to extract clay only from ponds within their taluks or from private farmland. Clay from rivers, which produces stronger and better-quality pots, is banned," he said.
Pointing out that their hamlets lie between the Kollidam and Cauvery rivers, Ramu said, "We used to get the best clay from here but now we are barred from accessing it.” Potters now source clay from private farmlands in Thuraiyur, Musiri and Lalgudi, translating to increased transportation and procurement costs. Further, current rules require potters to obtain permission from revenue officials as well as the mines department, Ramu said. "Vendors charge extra to cover these clearances, and stricter monitoring by police and revenue officials has added to delays and costs," he added.
Clay sourced from ponds, Ramu said, is often saline, resulting in brittle pots. The kudimaramathu scheme, under which potters earlier accessed desilted pond clay, however, also has slowed in recent years, he added. Adding to the strain, potters say the demand for their seasonal earthenware has dropped this Pongal, with retailers purchasing 20% to 30% lesser than last year.
Survival now depends on diversification, remarked Kalinga Durai (42), who left pottery about five years ago. "A few potters conduct pottery workshops for students or tourists at luxury hotels. Others make clay toys but Tiruchy's hamlets are not known for toy-making; the market is hence limited," he said.
According to Ramu, from around 150 active potters two decades ago, the number of such artisans in the two hamlets has fallen to about 20, most of whom are from the kuyavar community. Members of the potters' association urge the state government to procure earthen pots and traditional clay stoves for inclusion in the Pongal 2026 gift hamper distributed to ration cardholders and Sri Lankan Tamils in rehabilitation camps. "Just as millets were revived with government support, earthenware too needs institutional backing," Ramu said.