Pottery in and around Bhaktapur

Pottery flourishes in Patan and Thimi, a locality near Bhaktapur. Common forms of pottery are terracotta oil lamps used to light homes during the festival Dipawali, and flower pots decorated with peacocks and elephants.

Bhaktapur is well-known for giving continuity to this age-old profession. It has survived modernization and augments Bhaktapur’s unique identity in preserving heritage. Since there is no special season for using such vessels, the business of making pots keeps the local potters occupied through the year, except during planting season when they are totally occupied in the fields.

Pottery is a way of life for these people, and they have become so habituated to it that they have no fixed hours for sitting at the wheel, creating new pots. In Bolachhen or Talakwa which is popularly known as Potters’ Square, the inhabitants proudly boast of it as the traditional place for making pottery. True to its name, this square is never free of pots drying in the sun. Khutruke or the piggy bank is the most popular item produced here and plays a very crucial role in their business.

Shiva Prasad Prajapati, one of the potters says “If it were not for these khutrukes, our livelihoods would completely die out. Around 100 of these are produced in a day. But depending on the situation, sometimes almost half of them get destroyed while making them and there are other times when all hundred turn out excellent”. This is a problem they have to face at all times and with any vessel they make. The breakage is usually caused by insufficient sunlight.

Suryamadhi a few minutes walk from the Dattatreya is another area famous for pottery. However, the products found here are quite different from the ones available at Potters’ Square. Here, the potters are predominatly occupied in making such pottery as Sanli or vessels for drinking alcohol and Dhau bhega or curd containers. On the other hand, the people of Thimi are famous for making huge utensils. With changing times, the shapes and designs of their products have also been modified. Merging new ideas to the traditional, these contemporary styles are much in demand. The traditional products include pots and huge vessels which are especially made for household purposes like cooking, washing laundry, preparing and keeping alcohol, etc. The smaller ones comprise of vessels like Khutruke, water container, bowls to drink alcohol besides candle-stands. With the advent of plastic utensils, the use of earthenware is on a decline, which has an immediate impact on the pottery market.

Pottery also has a potential market among tourists as well as expatriates, these potters produce small decorative pieces.

Their use seems to be fading with time. Previously people came into town and stayed the night and headed back loaded with earthenware. 75 year old Jagat Bahadur Prajapati reminisces, “I walked all the way to Tistung, Palung and other such places all alone, carrying these goods in a kharpan on my shoulder and a ‘laltin’ lamp in my hands. Though difficult, it was a joyous walk which usually lasted for three days.”

He further states “Unlike today, it was very peaceful back then. One never had to worry about being attacked by a Maoist. In fact people would welcome me to stay at their homes and offer lunch and dinner.”