Magnificent Works of Terracotta and Pottery in Odisha
By Srikanta Mohanty: The magnificent art of making terracotta and pottery items still continues to be the source of living for tribal artisans in Odisha. The rich forms in colors and shapes in various designs amply show the fertility in imagination of the people. Roof tiles and utensils have always stayed in high demand as housewives always look for earthen tea cups, jars, and other catchy items for their kitchens.
“Although replacements in stainless steels and other items still exist of the terracotta and pottery items, the latter have extraordinary appeal in them so far as aesthetic quality is concerned. Be it the kitchenware made in the factories in stainless steels or any cheap decorative pieces for interiors available in the market, those simply cannot complete with the irresistibility in the attraction of terracotta and pottery items. I always look for the artistic pieces, when I visit the stalls in the exhibitions”- Says Anupama Verma- an avid collector of terracotta and pottery pieces. Her interior decoration has many such marvelous pieces, which she has personally designed and placed special orders with the artisans for making. Being a post-graduate in Fine Arts, she has this passion right from her childhood.
The young generations have always nurtured special liking for terracotta and pottery items. Take the instance of the idols of their favorite God, Ganesh. Despite severe competition from Chinese and Indian manufacturers, the terracotta idols have the highest demand. Besides this, almost all types of terracotta and clay toys enjoy huge demand from Indian and overseas market.
Ironically, the backward districts of Odisha have stayed the major manufacturing centers of such items. Sonepur, also known as Subarnapur, is the famous township, which has the traditional units of manufacturing of silk, handloom, and terracotta items. As the district head-quarter, it has families living in its proximity which have traditionally stayed engaged in the making of terracotta and pottery items.
“Such items simply fire your imagination. You cannot simply overlook the toys, utensils, and other decorative pieces as you pass by the stalls in an exhibition. The creativity in the tribal folks is immeasurable. These are the ultimate forms of giftedness of their minds”-Says Pranati Pradhan, who has always taken interest in the study of primitive living of people living in mountains.