DELHI’S HIDDEN TREASURE OF POTTERY
Located on the outskirts of the western part of Delhi, Kumhar Gram is a village that houses about 700 potter families who mould clay and create stacks & mounds of of earthenware for a living. The community had its origins in Rajasthan and came to Delhi around 60 years ago when there was a drought in the area of Alwar (in Rajasthan). Back then, Binda Pur was in the outskirts of Delhi and the community thrived here making various clay based items. However, in present times, their sources of livelihood are becoming more and more difficult, with most of the raw material source becoming scarce & expensive and their method of making clay based items (i.e. clay ovens) coming under regulations (due to high pollution levels in Delhi).
The experience here is anything but ordinary; you can watch villagers put together pile after pile of beautiful earthenware, try your hand at the art of pottery-making yourself {you may not succeed the first few times, though}, and then maybe join them for a cup of chai and a few rounds of hookah at the end of an exhausting day. You can find flower pots, wall hangings, bird-feeders, and all kinds of beautiful pottery items to buy here.