Churning out

By Faris Arakkal Two hands move in equal pace to carve out a pot from the pure clay coming out of a potter's wheel. The show is being held live at Sangeetha Nataka Akademi as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations of Thrissur Doordarshan Kendra. Raman with his magic fingers is making wonders at the Akademi. He moulds a number of patterns in your presence. After a pot is shaped out of clay, he sharpens the edge with a bamboo twig as the wheel continues to rotate. After 10 minutes of artistic demonstration, a pot is born but with no bottom. Raman keeps the pots for drying for a while. It takes a little more skill and utmost concentration thereafter to shape the bottom. Before the moulds are dry, he nurses the sides of the half-shaped pots with finesse. Lo! The bottom is covered. Then, with the help of tools, the pots are polished and given different shapes and designs. In the final phase, he keeps them on the furnace. The process strengthens their holds. Now, the pots are ready to be removed to the kitchen. In between, Thrissur Doordarshan Kendra head officer and controlling officer Dr CK Thomas said, "It's our mission to impart Gandhian ideas of swadesi goods, and such artistic jobs need to be cared for." By now, people have begun gathering around to see pottery, an skilful art under the threat of extinction. Raman left his traditional job of pottery making about two years ago. The reason is scarcity of clay. "It needs pure clay to make pots. Urbanisation is on fast pace, and has left no more fields to dig out pure clay", he said. Raman's parents used to earn their daily bread with the sale of earthern pots. But for Raman finds it difficult to find pure clay. They have to bring the clay from Arangotukara, a far away place and the journey sometimes hazardous too. The natives of Arangotukara do not take lightly of the 'invasion' from outside whether it is for clay or not.