Pottering around Kumhaar Gram

A tour that takes visitors down the muddy lane.

A group of old men sits under a tree playing cards as an old song plays on a decrepit radio. Everywhere you walk you can see piles of clay pots lined against walls and children running perilously close to them. A few potters make pots on the rotating wheel,their hands working in rhythm with the rotations. It is business as usual for the residents of Kumhaar Gram in Uttam Nagar in Delhi.

A bus full of tourists arrive at this idyllic spot armed with cameras,hats and sunscreen. A sharply dressed guide leads them on,explaining in English,that they are about to get a slice of an Indian potter’s life. This day tour organised by the Delhi-based Indomania Cultural Tours,tries to give a slice of the Indian culture through pottery. Kumhaar Gram , an established potter’s colony since many years,has been supplying clay pots,vessels,and other artefacts to almost all parts of the country.

Naomi, a mother of two who was raised all over the world,says,It was crazy to be so close to Delhi proper yet feel like you were out in the middle of nowhere. It was quiet,peaceful,serene and not one person asked me for a thing while we were on the tour. I was able to enjoy my morning in an environment that felt very honest and not touristy in the slightest.

The tour starts with a walk to through the village where tourists get to see the potters at work, says Piyush Nangru of Indomania. The half-day tour then progresses to the casual interactions with the potters and then to pottery sessions in which the tourists participate. Since this was a pottery tour,we were shown a variety of pottery styles and were encouraged to make our own pottery but they definitely wont be selling my creations! says another tourist.

After a snack and some impromptu games and music,the tourists are packed off to their respective hotels. After various local purchases of course. This was an amazing experience. Just off the plane and into a tour. Very interesting! says Kat Gebauer from the US.

The tour,developed in association with South Asia Foundation,an NGO working for the upliftment of the poor with special emphasis on the crafts sector,focuses on giving tourists tangible experiences from the potters’ lives,their customs,traditions and rituals.

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