Kumarghat, Apr 01, 2025, TRIPURATIMES Desk

Kumarghat, Apr 01. Clay artisans of Masmara, a semi-urban hamlet in Kumarghat subdivision see no hopes for a revival of their trade in near future. They largely believe their market is totally hijacked by the low-cost plastic made products and the aluminium made utensils which are durable in nature.

A whole village in the Masmara is inhabited by the clay artisan. “Our products are only purchased for performing rituals and Pujas. Other than that, clay made utensils have now turned totally out-dated,” Uttam Kumar Paul, a native of the village shared.

A third generation potter, Paul recalled his early childhood when he was just learning the basics of the traditional trade. “My grandfather raised my father only doing this. My father also earned a living for our whole family through this trade. But, for me it has become a herculean task to sustain the expenses of the family through this only source of livelihood,” Paul lamented.  

Having inherited the craft from his ancestors, Paul has been engaged in pottery for nearly twenty years.

The other potters of the village also highlighted the same problem.

“The market is wide now. The buyers want new designs. The equipment which is required to prepare such kinds of products is highly expensive. Without the support of the government, it would be impossible for us to install such state-of-art equipment,” another potter added.

The artisans of the village also work on sculptures and other related fields. They urged the government to extend some support to revive their trade through popularizing use of earthen products in government campaigns.