Indus Valley Pottery with Master Craftsmen

Indus Valley Pottery with Master Craftsmen

Bringing to you from the Indus Valley Civilization, one of the most beautiful crafts of Painted Terracotta. Learn pottery in a hands-on setting from the master potters who are practicing these craft traditions from generations. This workshop is conducted by the Dehaati Design in Bhuj - a popular craft hub of India.

As part of this workshop, the history of the craft, culture, artisan and master craftsmanship will be explained. The guests will have hands-on experience with the potter’s wheel and will be taught the technique of painting on pottery products, which is one of the unique traditions known only to the women potters in Kutch.

You will be staying at the Bhuj House, a heritage homestay in the heart of Bhuj during the time of this experience. A day visit to the potter’s village to connect with the local culture and traditional way of pottery along with a traditional meal is included.

Note - this experience is available in English, Hindi and Gujarati.

Itinerary

DAY 1
We begin the day with a detailed orientation to the craft and move on to learn to make the plates using the slab method. In this method, you will be using your hands to build and shape a form. A unique regional technique of Ghadai will be introduced in the afternoon.

DAY 2
We will visit Hoorbai masi's house in Lodai village, about a one hour drive from the potter's studio. Immerse yourself in artisans' life, culture, and work conditions as you get introduced to traditional shapes, colors, motifs, and their significance for the artisans' community. Then, we will move on to learn to paint on the pottery pieces. A traditional meal will be provided by the potter's family.

DAY 3
It’s the day to practice and perfect the painting techniques on the pottery pieces you created in the first two days. We will end the session by putting the pots and plates in the kiln for firing. These handcrafted souvenirs will be shipped to your home once they are out of the kiln.

We will discuss the further steps to keep this craft learning experience ongoing and say our goodbyes.