Rays of the afternoon sun brighten the earthen pots lined at a neat angle over the brick kiln. The kiln’s owner, Savita Bhen laughs heartily, “Everyone is a potter here. My father, uncles and brothers are all potters. I was born in this colony and married to our neighbor’s son, who is also a potter. We are the 4th generation of potters living here in Kumbharwada.”
Kumbharwada (Kumbhar means potter, Wada means residence) is the largest community of potters, established on the outskirts of Dharavi — the largest slum in Asia located in the midst of India’s financial capital Mumbai. Migrants from Saurashtra, a region in the neighboring state of Gujarat, came to Kumbharwada at the beginning of the 20th century. Migrants chose Dharavi because Gujarat’s border was close enough to import soil for pottery and the port in Mumbai allowed for better business opportunities.
“There was nothing in Kumbharwada some 100 years ago and my grandmother used to say she could see the sea from where we are standing,” adds Savita Bhen with a smile.
Before 1932, potters used to live in small makeshift huts. In 1932, the potter community requested land from the British Colonial Government. The Government allotted 13.5 acres of land in Dharavi on a lease for 99 years. Though the land is now owned by the Bombay Municipal Corporation, presently, Kumbharwada has over 200 skilled potter families who have made their permanent and temporary settlements in this colony.
Kumbharwada has a homogeneous population of potters, who have a strong cultural identity and a spirit of community. Being the largest and oldest community of potters, Kumbharwada produces the majority of earthen pots and diyas (earthen lamps) for the city of Mumbai. In India, the tradition art of earthen pottery still has a special place in the hearts of the people. Middle-class families still use these pots to store potable water during summers, to make homemade yogurt and to store other food items. Diyas are widely used by Indians around the world during religious festivals such as Diwali and New Years. In the modern era, decorative pots have found a new meaning to traditional home décor. Earthen pots and lamps remain in demand throughout the year.
Savita Bhen is one of the established potters of Kumbharwada. Potters like her hire laborers to unload raw soil into large pits, to clean and to mold the soil into earthen pots, and to bake pots in brick kilns. Many women in Kumbharwada specialize in decorating pots and lamps for upscale markets as well. The potters and decorators follow a community protocol – no one steals the neighbor’s business. For instance, potters and decorators do not solicit customers directly; they sell their pots and lamps to wholesalers and retailers, who in turn solicit customers. Community members ensure that everyone follows the unwritten protocol to avoid confusion and confrontation.
Despite business opportunities, life in Kumbharwada is challenging because basic amenities are absent — lack of street drainage, incessant thick smoke from kilns, dicey community toilets, and limited sources of clean drinking water. Limited space is the overriding visual feature of Kumbharwada. Residents live in a kholi, a living quarter that is typically 20 square feet, with barely any ventilation compared to modern standards.
Many residents not only live in their tiny kholis, but also operate their business from there. Raw materials for the pots are often stored in a small attic above the kholi. Finished pots lined up outside a kholi are a normal sight in the colony. Countless strips of colorful cloth are often seen inside a tiny kholis. These strips are most valuable raw material used by potters to burn as fuel for kilns.
“We get pieces of clothes from tailors in the area. Oil soaked and nylon pieces give out more smoke when burnt and we prefer them over cotton rags,” says Usha Devi.
Walls of houses around the kiln are perpetually covered with thick soot. “We don’t get our houses painted from the outside anymore. What’s the point? They will be covered with soot the next day,” adds Usha Devi. Residents seem unperturbed about the diseases caused by ominous air pollution. “No one gets sick here from asthma or cancer,” says Usha Devi, “look around you, there are so many old women. My mother is 92 years old and she has been living here since she got married at 16.”
The resilience residents exude is stirring and we ask how they manage their lives despite the day-to-day challenges. “Where can we go? Our entire life is here. We do not know anything else than pottery, and we are happy being potters,” say Usha Devi and her neighbor Savita Bhen, in chorus. “It’s difficult to find any other job in Mumbai. Moreover, Kumbharwada is so well connected with the city. The train station is nearby; schools are nearby; clinics are nearby. What more can you ask for?”
The lease on the land expiring in 2032, and competition from the Chinese market is stiff. The residents are uncertain about the future of Kumbharwada. Today, most potters aspire for better education, comfortable life and white collared jobs for their children.
Usha Devi shares, “I am earning money for my daughter’s private education by decorating and packaging lamps for special occasions such as Diwali and New Years. Though my hands hurt from decorating more than 50–60 diyas a day, my employment options are limited and festival season is the only time I can really earn the extra income.” Savita Bhen adds, “My children don’t want to carry on the pottery business. They are all pursuing a Bachelors degree and want to find a job away from Kumbharwada. I am happy with whatever they chose. That’s the reason why our families moved here in the first place; a better life for everyone.”
(Co-authored with Deepti KC)
