{"slides": [{"type": "image", "show_title": "True", "album_title": "A quarter million hours of pottery", "src": "/media/original_images/1_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.jpg", "src_resized": "/media/images/1_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg", "description": "<div class=\"rich-text\"><p>Vishnu Ketru Kumbhar of Kapashi village in Kolhapur district is the 13th generation in his family to work as a potter. His surname \u2018Kumbhar\u2019 means \u2018potter\u2019. Kapashi is known for its pottery and Kolhapuri <i>chappal </i>industry. \u00a0</p><p></p><p>In the late 1600s, Vishnu says, \u00a0Santaji Ghorpade, the <i>senapati </i>(general) of the Maratha army, brought three potters named Bhairu, Babu and Nata from Shingnapur village of Satara district to Kapashi and gave them 24 acres of land. \u201cWe belong to the family of one of those three potters,\u201d he says.</p><p>Of the village\u2019s population of close to 6,000, only around six families, Vishnu estimates, are still in the pottery trade.</p></div>", "album_description": "<p><i>Vishnu Kumbhar\u2019s family members in Kapashi village of Kolhapur district have been potters for 15 generations. But their rare skills are seldom recognised and they receive no support from the state to keep this great old tradition flourishing</i></p>", "url": "/pa/albums/a-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery/", "slide_photographer": ["Sanket Jain"], "image_captured_date": "17 Aug,2017", "slide_location": "Kolhapur, Maharashtra", "track_id": "", "embed": "", "carousel_html": "<img src=\"/media/images/1_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg\" />"}, {"type": "image", "show_title": "True", "album_title": "A quarter million hours of pottery", "src": "/media/original_images/2_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.jpg", "src_resized": "/media/images/2_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg", "description": "<div class=\"rich-text\"><p>Vishnu, now 70, has been a potter for 55 years. He works for 16 hours a day, starting at 4 a.m. That\u2019s more than 250,000 hours of pottery over half a century. On an average, he moulds 25 pots of 20 litres every day, then keeps them to dry before taking each up for painting or carving</p></div>", "album_description": "<p><i>Vishnu Kumbhar\u2019s family members in Kapashi village of Kolhapur district have been potters for 15 generations. But their rare skills are seldom recognised and they receive no support from the state to keep this great old tradition flourishing</i></p>", "url": "/pa/albums/a-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery/", "slide_photographer": ["Sanket Jain"], "image_captured_date": "17 Aug,2017", "slide_location": "Kolhapur, Maharashtra", "track_id": "", "embed": "", "carousel_html": "<img src=\"/media/images/2_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg\" />"}, {"type": "image", "show_title": "True", "album_title": "A quarter million hours of pottery", "src": "/media/original_images/3_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.jpg", "src_resized": "/media/images/3_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg", "description": "<div class=\"rich-text\"><p>\u201cI am an artist and a sculptor,\u201d he says with evident pride. \u201cThough I am illiterate, I also do all the calculations of the business\u201d</p></div>", "album_description": "<p><i>Vishnu Kumbhar\u2019s family members in Kapashi village of Kolhapur district have been potters for 15 generations. But their rare skills are seldom recognised and they receive no support from the state to keep this great old tradition flourishing</i></p>", "url": "/pa/albums/a-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery/", "slide_photographer": ["Sanket Jain"], "image_captured_date": "17 Aug,2017", "slide_location": "Kolhapur, Maharashtra", "track_id": "", "embed": "", "carousel_html": "<img src=\"/media/images/3_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg\" />"}, {"type": "image", "show_title": "True", "album_title": "A quarter million hours of pottery", "src": "/media/original_images/4_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.jpg", "src_resized": "/media/images/4_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg", "description": "<div class=\"rich-text\"><p>It takes 2-5 days to finish making a pot. The clay \u2013 <i>tambdi mati, bhing mati</i> and other varieties \u2013 comes from Kunnur and Khanapur villages of Belgaum district in Karnataka, and from Bhudargad and Panhala villages of Kolhapur district, Maharashtra</p></div>", "album_description": "<p><i>Vishnu Kumbhar\u2019s family members in Kapashi village of Kolhapur district have been potters for 15 generations. But their rare skills are seldom recognised and they receive no support from the state to keep this great old tradition flourishing</i></p>", "url": "/pa/albums/a-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery/", "slide_photographer": ["Sanket Jain"], "image_captured_date": "17 Aug,2017", "slide_location": "Kolhapur, Maharashtra", "track_id": "", "embed": "", "carousel_html": "<img src=\"/media/images/4_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg\" />"}, {"type": "image", "show_title": "True", "album_title": "A quarter million hours of pottery", "src": "/media/original_images/5_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.jpg", "src_resized": "/media/images/5_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg", "description": "<div class=\"rich-text\"><p>Horse manure is mixed with the clay to add to the tensile strength of the pots. Vishnu travels to Nipani, around 16 kilometres away, to get the manure from the <i>dhangars</i> (shepherds) of Karnataka. Locally, he says, there are not many horses</p></div>", "album_description": "<p><i>Vishnu Kumbhar\u2019s family members in Kapashi village of Kolhapur district have been potters for 15 generations. But their rare skills are seldom recognised and they receive no support from the state to keep this great old tradition flourishing</i></p>", "url": "/pa/albums/a-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery/", "slide_photographer": ["Sanket Jain"], "image_captured_date": "17 Aug,2017", "slide_location": "Kolhapur, Maharashtra", "track_id": "", "embed": "", "carousel_html": "<img src=\"/media/images/5_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg\" />"}, {"type": "image", "show_title": "True", "album_title": "A quarter million hours of pottery", "src": "/media/original_images/6_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.jpg", "src_resized": "/media/images/6_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg", "description": "<div class=\"rich-text\"><p>The <i>bhatti</i> (oven) is fired twice a week and 150-200 pots, each of 20 litres, are baked together for around five hours</p></div>", "album_description": "<p><i>Vishnu Kumbhar\u2019s family members in Kapashi village of Kolhapur district have been potters for 15 generations. But their rare skills are seldom recognised and they receive no support from the state to keep this great old tradition flourishing</i></p>", "url": "/pa/albums/a-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery/", "slide_photographer": ["Sanket Jain"], "image_captured_date": "17 Aug,2017", "slide_location": "Kolhapur, Maharashtra", "track_id": "", "embed": "", "carousel_html": "<img src=\"/media/images/6_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg\" />"}, {"type": "image", "show_title": "True", "album_title": "A quarter million hours of pottery", "src": "/media/original_images/7_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.jpg", "src_resized": "/media/images/7_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg", "description": "<div class=\"rich-text\"><p>The pots are then moved to the polishing stage. Different types of polish, bought ready from the market, are used. This depends, Vishnu says, on the requirements of his diverse customers</p></div>", "album_description": "<p><i>Vishnu Kumbhar\u2019s family members in Kapashi village of Kolhapur district have been potters for 15 generations. But their rare skills are seldom recognised and they receive no support from the state to keep this great old tradition flourishing</i></p>", "url": "/pa/albums/a-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery/", "slide_photographer": ["Sanket Jain"], "image_captured_date": "17 Aug,2017", "slide_location": "Kolhapur, Maharashtra", "track_id": "", "embed": "", "carousel_html": "<img src=\"/media/images/7_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg\" />"}, {"type": "image", "show_title": "True", "album_title": "A quarter million hours of pottery", "src": "/media/original_images/8_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.jpg", "src_resized": "/media/images/8_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg", "description": "<div class=\"rich-text\"><p> \u201cMy grandson Omkar, who is 10, made this pot,\u201d Vishnu says with a sense of pride (pointing to a pot). \u201cHe isn\u2019t muscular enough to beat the pot properly, so it is not that strong\u201d</p></div>", "album_description": "<p><i>Vishnu Kumbhar\u2019s family members in Kapashi village of Kolhapur district have been potters for 15 generations. But their rare skills are seldom recognised and they receive no support from the state to keep this great old tradition flourishing</i></p>", "url": "/pa/albums/a-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery/", "slide_photographer": ["Sanket Jain"], "image_captured_date": "17 Aug,2017", "slide_location": "Kolhapur, Maharashtra", "track_id": "", "embed": "", "carousel_html": "<img src=\"/media/images/8_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg\" />"}, {"type": "image", "show_title": "True", "album_title": "A quarter million hours of pottery", "src": "/media/original_images/9_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.jpg", "src_resized": "/media/images/9_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg", "description": "<div class=\"rich-text\"><p>The entire family is involved in pottery. Vishnu\u2019s son Prakash works at a nearby sugar factory and continues the family tradition by helping his father make the pots. From left to right in this photo: Grandson Omkar and Vishnu, and Prakash and his wife Sarita.</p><p>The Kumbhar family says their business has not declined but the number of artisans has reduced considerably. \u201cThere were at least 180 full-time potters in Kapashi in some 80 families in the 1960s,\u201d Vishnu says. Now, there are just six such families, he estimates. \u201cOne reason for this is that many potters are addicted to alcohol, and we don\u2019t live long\u201d<br/></p></div>", "album_description": "<p><i>Vishnu Kumbhar\u2019s family members in Kapashi village of Kolhapur district have been potters for 15 generations. But their rare skills are seldom recognised and they receive no support from the state to keep this great old tradition flourishing</i></p>", "url": "/pa/albums/a-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery/", "slide_photographer": ["Sanket Jain"], "image_captured_date": "17 Aug,2017", "slide_location": "Kolhapur, Maharashtra", "track_id": "", "embed": "", "carousel_html": "<img src=\"/media/images/9_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg\" />"}, {"type": "image", "show_title": "True", "album_title": "A quarter million hours of pottery", "src": "/media/original_images/10_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.jpg", "src_resized": "/media/images/10_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg", "description": "<div class=\"rich-text\"><p>The Kumbhars are also skilled sculptors. While the pots are made throughout the year, in May, three months before the Ganpati festival in August-September, they begin sculpting idols to meet the huge festival demand. Vishnu sells smaller idols starting at Rs. 300; he also gets orders for community celebrations (from\u00a0<i>mandals</i>), and these three-feet plus idols are sold for upwards of Rs. 7,000. \u00a0The idol in this photo, he says, was made with a local organic clay<br/></p></div>", "album_description": "<p><i>Vishnu Kumbhar\u2019s family members in Kapashi village of Kolhapur district have been potters for 15 generations. But their rare skills are seldom recognised and they receive no support from the state to keep this great old tradition flourishing</i></p>", "url": "/pa/albums/a-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery/", "slide_photographer": ["Sanket Jain"], "image_captured_date": "17 Aug,2017", "slide_location": "Kolhapur, Maharashtra", "track_id": "", "embed": "", "carousel_html": "<img src=\"/media/images/10_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg\" />"}, {"type": "image", "show_title": "True", "album_title": "A quarter million hours of pottery", "src": "/media/original_images/11_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.jpg", "src_resized": "/media/images/11_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg", "description": "<div class=\"rich-text\"><p>The Kumbhars make several varieties of pots, and most of these are sold in nearby towns \u2013 in Kolhapur, Sangli, Ichalkaranji and Nipani. Each 20 litre pot is sold for Rs. 150</p></div>", "album_description": "<p><i>Vishnu Kumbhar\u2019s family members in Kapashi village of Kolhapur district have been potters for 15 generations. But their rare skills are seldom recognised and they receive no support from the state to keep this great old tradition flourishing</i></p>", "url": "/pa/albums/a-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery/", "slide_photographer": ["Sanket Jain"], "image_captured_date": "17 Aug,2017", "slide_location": "Kolhapur, Maharashtra", "track_id": "", "embed": "", "carousel_html": "<img src=\"/media/images/11_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg\" />"}, {"type": "image", "show_title": "True", "album_title": "A quarter million hours of pottery", "src": "/media/original_images/12_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.jpg", "src_resized": "/media/images/12_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg", "description": "<div class=\"rich-text\"><p>The potter\u2019s wheel has been used for generations. But many of the potters have become old and suffer from back problems, and they need muscle power to rotate the wheel. So now it comes with electric motors for rotation at variable speeds. \u201cThe designs today also differ from the simpler ones or plains pots made by my father,\u201d says Vishnu</p></div>", "album_description": "<p><i>Vishnu Kumbhar\u2019s family members in Kapashi village of Kolhapur district have been potters for 15 generations. But their rare skills are seldom recognised and they receive no support from the state to keep this great old tradition flourishing</i></p>", "url": "/pa/albums/a-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery/", "slide_photographer": ["Sanket Jain"], "image_captured_date": "17 Aug,2017", "slide_location": "Kolhapur, Maharashtra", "track_id": "", "embed": "", "carousel_html": "<img src=\"/media/images/12_SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg\" />"}, {"type": "image", "show_title": "True", "album_title": "A quarter million hours of pottery", "src": "/media/original_images/13__SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.jpg", "src_resized": "/media/images/13__SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg", "description": "<div class=\"rich-text\"><p>The Kumbhar family has managed to pass on the skill and tradition over 15 generations \u2013 including to Vishnu\u2019s son and grandson. But their work, they say, isn\u2019t acknowledged by the state even when the skill is in decline. \u201cWe are reduced to the tag of \u2018Kumbhars\u2019,\u201d says Vishnu</p></div>", "album_description": "<p><i>Vishnu Kumbhar\u2019s family members in Kapashi village of Kolhapur district have been potters for 15 generations. But their rare skills are seldom recognised and they receive no support from the state to keep this great old tradition flourishing</i></p>", "url": "/pa/albums/a-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery/", "slide_photographer": ["Sanket Jain"], "image_captured_date": "17 Aug,2017", "slide_location": "Kolhapur, Maharashtra", "track_id": "", "embed": "", "carousel_html": "<img src=\"/media/images/13__SJ_A-quarter-million-hours-of-pottery.height-876.jpg\" />"}], "authors": [{"type": "inline", "show_title": "False", "name": "Sanket Jain", "bio": "Sanket Jain is a journalist based in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. He is a 2022 PARI Senior Fellow and a 2019 PARI Fellow.", "twitter_username": "", "facebook_username": null, "email": null, "website": null, "author_url": "/pa/authors/sanket-jain/"}]}

photo_album