As Clay Creations Fire And Earthy Scents Rise, Nuagan Potters' Wheels Revolve To Evolve
Nuagan village close to Odisha's capital Bhubaneswar speaks the language of art. And the artists narrate their love for clay not without raising livelihood concerns.
By Kasturi Ray
Published : August 11, 2025 at 4:19 PM IST
|Updated : August 11, 2025 at 7:53 PM IST
Bhubaneswar: Like the clay on the wheel, life for 60 families in Nuagan, known as the terracotta village, has changed and reshaped. They have everything they need to create marvels in clay, but are left with only a few artists, none from the new generation though, to keep the art alive. Reasons abound - from price rise, irregular clay supply, lack of market linkage, little or no government patronage, and most importantly, the present generation choosing other professions over artistry, washing their hands of the clayey soil for good.
Just about five kilometres from Bhubaneswar, a signboard indicates the existence of the village, seemingly nondescript from the main road - Terracotta Grama Nuagan, which means “Terracotta Village, Nuagan.” A few steps down the village road stands the ‘workshop,’ which bears little resemblance to a space where anything creative could happen.
A bushy area, with a few broken hutments, a firing dump, mounds of clay here and there, dust-covered but a beautifully carved yet half- cracked elephant bearing marks of wear and tear, rows of painted pots, and heaps of clay diyas - is how the workshop looks like. But inside, engrossed in minute details, are some professional terracotta artists, who, along with an instructor from the State Institute for Development of Arts & Crafts (SIDAC), Odisha Tarun Tapan Sahu and a few students, are making a terracotta mural destined to adorn the Rourkela Adivasi Museum.
Tarun says the mural measuring 50 feet in length and 17 feet in height has been made by artists from the village and some of his students. “I was asked to place the order, and I chose this village because I have worked in pottery and terracotta for long. I know the artists here are very creative and talented. Besides, this place is only three kilometres from where I live, so guiding the artists is easier for me. The mural was completed in record time, and we have sent it for firing. It will soon be carried to Rourkela,” he adds.
Tarun has been working with clay for about 15 years now and was chosen as an instructor by SIDAC. He also has a workshop in his native place where he practises the art.
But not everything about the art and the artists seems hunky-dory. Behind the paan-stained teeth and wry smiles are stories of angst. Scratch a little, and out comes their concern - about the work they have devoted their lives to, their livelihood, and keeping the tradition of the village intact.
“Since we work independently, we place our orders for clay individually. But even after months of placing an order for a tractor of clay, we do not get it for three to four months. That stops the workflow,” says Gadadhar Rana, who works at the workshop along with a few others. The clay being the most important raw material for Nuagan artists is mostly fetched from Munduli in Cuttack. One tractor-load costs them anywhere between Rs 5,000 and Rs 6,000. “But the tractor owner faces problems at various checkpoints while transporting it to Nuagan,” Gadadhar adds.
The artists, who now make more handis and water pots, get paid less as these do not involve much creativity. “Terracotta orders are well paid. We have faced issues with market linkage, but that can come later. We need to produce more, but we cannot due to the lack of clay. And that is the main reason why our children are not interested in pursuing the art,” Gadadhar says, his voice laced with worry.
The government has been conducting various skill development workshops at the village, but participation is dwindling. Every house here smells of clay and coal, yet there are few takers to carry the art forward.
“Earlier, customers used to frequent the village to buy terracotta or place orders, but now not many come. It is high time the pottery artists made things that suit contemporary tastes. People are crazy about keeping pottery pieces in their homes and balconies, but they do not get the designs or wares they want,” says Tarun.
The terracotta village artists say they are making biryani handis to meet commercial demands. “Pots for biryani and puja rituals are always in demand, though they are less profitable. People still make these pots, which sell at Rs 14 a piece. They are skilled and can make wonderful creations, but they do not get many orders,” says Tarun, suggesting that Odisha could go the Pondicherry or Delhi way to promote studio pottery.
“It is time the artists made the workshop presentable and kept things that are more artistic and creative. When people visit, they should get the look and feel of a craft village,” he asserts.
Every house in the village has artists, including women. Often found juggling household work and pottery, the women expressed their inability to do more.
Sixty-year-old Rabini Rana has seen the art soar and then stagnate. She has a moulding wheel, mounds of clay, and a firing bhatti, but no time to make anything other than a few diyas and handis.
“Who will do my household work if I go to the workshop for training sessions? For the last 20-25 years, I have seen many children choose private sector jobs rather than learning the nuances of the art from us,” says Rabini, who, along with her co-sister, makes pottery pieces only when time permits.
As the art struggles to survive between the push and pull of raw material supply and market linkage, there are some like Indrani Mukherjee, who have been trying to chronicle it as it slowly recedes from sight.
“My husband and I have been trying to bring the art to a wider audience. We run a homestay based on the fundamental premise of reviving and uplifting Odishan art. During our research, we fell in love with the craft. The government might be doing its bit in training the artists, but there are more ways than one to help the tradition remain vibrant,” says Indrani.
She feels the problems lie in clusters. “There is an absolute lack of proper channeling of people working here. If artists could be brought together through a collective society, not just on paper but in reality, it would make a big difference. Right now, these artists live hand-to-mouth, selling Rs 12 - Rs 14 handis. The next generation is unwilling to preserve this intangible heritage because the remuneration is too low,” she explains.
Amid the challenges, there are artists like Bhaskar Muduli, 64, who has been coming to the Nuagan workshop from his village for the past 25 years, spending six to seven hours a day making items as per orders. He was trained in handicrafts for two years and attended various workshops to fine-tune his skills.
“I believe there is no problem greater than the availability of clay. We would urge the government to help us get good quality clay. For me, marketing is not as big a concern as the inability to bring artists together under the cooperative society we have,” he says.
The artists voice their discontent with their cooperative, the Nuagan Utkalamani Kumbhakar Shilpa Samabaya Samiti, which has almost remained inactive. They allege that despite receiving government funding, the society is not working to uplift artists or the art.
“Even now, people love our work. They come, but return empty-handed because we work in silos and our output in ones and twos doesn’t appeal to buyers. We want the cooperative society to become functional and bring more artists under one roof so that we can make a difference,” says Bhaskar, putting clay buttons on a Tulsi plant stand he is making as per an order he has got.
Deputy Director, Directorate of Handicrafts, Managobinda Jena, acknowledged the problems with clay supply and assured action soon. “We are taking steps to make clay available to artists smoothly. We are also aware that cooperative societies are not as active as they should be. We are working in that direction and can assure that these issues will be ironed out soon,” he says. On market linkage, he cites the state and district-level exhibitions like Mruttika, dedicated to pottery, where most artists, he says, sell off their entire stock for the year.
For now, the slightly cracked lone elephant at the workshop awaits the right connoisseur to pick it up for Rs 20,000, a modest price for the aesthetics and finesse far beyond anything made artificially with plaster of Paris. The horses, palanquins, and pots can still wait, but the art cannot sustain for long without being infused with life.
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