Anaswaram back with its terracotta products in Thiruvananthapuram

A craftswoman arranging traditional Nilambur pottery items displayed for sale at Gandhi Bhavan in Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN

Anaswaram, a self-help group from Nilambur in Malappuram, is back in the State capital with its range of terracotta kitchenware and decor items.

“We have been bringing terracotta products to Thiruvananthapuram since 2012,” says M. Vijayakumari of Anaswaram at the Kerala Gandhi Smarak Nidhi Hall, Thycaud. It is afternoon but not a dull one with a steady flow of customers to the hall where Anaswaram’s terracotta expo is on till January 15.

“We have long-time clients who wait for our products. We had also posted on Facebook,” says Vijayakumari as she juggles questions from customers about prices, sizes and colours of pans and pots, and if there is need to season them.

Terracotta kitchenware has a charm of its own, and it is clear that this sentiment is shared by many. The customers take their time, picking up the earthenware to see if it fits their needs, and tempted to make purchases even if it does not.

Vijayakumari points out that as their products are sent even to supermarkets in the Gulf countries, they are very careful about the manufacturing process, with no artificial processes involved in lending the products the popular ‘black’ colour. “Both red and black terracotta is baked, the difference being that we then burn sawdust and hay to get the black colour on red terracotta. This tone is not uniform.”

In many places though, rubber or cloth dipped in petrol is burned to get a more even colour. When such kitchenware is used, one can see bubbles come forth, Vijayakumari warns.

Anaswaram has 20 members who are engaged in making terracotta products throughout the year. Though getting clay is not easy, they manage to source it from Nilambur, Palakkad, or Shornur. The challenge though is that most of the current artisans are in their 60s and 70s. “After them, who? That is the big question,” says Vijayakumari.

Even if the young generation wants to pursue the craft, they want to see some money in it, she adds.

Though machines are being used to make terracotta products, Anaswaram does it all by hand. Even the finishing is done painstakingly till no pores are left open, she says.

Anaswaram makes over 150 products, and many of these such as pots and pans which can be used on a gas stove or an oven. Besides, jugs, mugs, cups, magic kooja, chapatti tawa, appam chatti, besides candlestands, flower pots, wall hangings, figurines, garden mushrooms, and wall murals can also be purchased at the expo.