Clay and Terracotta of Maharashtra

Clay objects are made by the craftsmen of Aurangabad and Ahmednagar for domestic and ritualistic use. The items are used during festivals like Diwali and Makar Sankranti. During  Bail-pola, a harvest festival of Maharashtra when bollocks are bathed, colourfully decorated and led in processions, bullock clay toys are made for children to play with.

The potters also make tandoor, a traditional earthen stove. It is made by first creating a flat base over which coiled layers are added for the required height. Shaping and finishing are done to provide even thickness to the walls. Finally, the article is fired in the aawa/kiln. Used rubber tires and sawdust are added to the kiln. Once the correct temperature is reached, the kiln is covered with waste pieces of fired articles and sand for the smoke to get trapped and give a black colour to the tandoor.

The basic tools used are  potter’s wheel, gunda/metal block, phali/wooden beater, lakadi/stick and aawa/ kiln.

Other clay articles made by the craftsmen are chula/traditional stove, ghagar/small pot, gadage /smaller pot, bodke /smallest pot, kundi /flowerpot, panti or diya/lamp, ranjhan/big container, goulan/figurine, math/biggest pot, ghoda/horse and toys.