Artisans of Dharavi: Wheels let them stay connected with the soil

As she dips the diyas in the red colour liquid she has prepared in her unit in Dharavi, Hanifa Qasam Jhala feels connected to home as it is all about working with something related to "soil".

"Pottery was occupation of my family before I was married and family I got married into. We were into making pottery on chakla (rotating wheel). Diyas are something that we started making in 2003. With my husband's death and my children moving onto other businesses, they want me to stop this. But I feel connected to home when I work on them and this work keeps me fit," said Jhala telling about her son who has not been talking to her for not stopping the work of making decorative diyas this Diwali.

At Kumbharwada in Dharavi, most diyas that are seen in the city are made here by families for generations. The only change has been that which technology and returns has brought in and compelled the change. From chaklas (wheels) on which diyas were made by running it manually, it changed to them being run on electricity and lately factories-made diyas that look sturdier flooding the market.

Such diyas are made more colourful, attractive and given more designs by families that did not find making the diyas giving them as much return as the effort put in. The ones who continue to make diyas are the traditional ones categorised as "lighter" in quality, or those where factories have not intruded, say shopkeepers, continue to be much in demand.

The Chinese ones, are lesser this time around in the market as buyers seems to have rooted back to the local market, claim sellers.

"The diyas that I make are still not made in factories. These are bigger. There are some pottery items that are made for Karwa Chauth that cannot be made in machines. Large part of our earning are mostly this time around as through the year there is slack sales," said Tayyab Mohammed Tank, who is among the few who makes pottery items on chakla (rotating wheel).

While Tank is among the few who makes the diyas, Motibai Karsen's family stopped when her son passed away. "We used to make them till the time my husband and son was alive. But the money was not as much so my grandchildren have moved to another jobs. Now only I, my daughter-in-law does colour and decorates the diyas that are given to us," said Motibai Karsen, another resident of Kumbharwada, who turned 100 this year.

That the family earns little, is reflected the moment Motibai starts conversation. "How much money are you going to give me if I talk to you or allow you to take my picture?," she said. The family makes at the most Rs 300 to Rs 500 every day depending if they work through the day.

"That is one of the reason I do not want my son to be in this business. More money is made by people who sell to the final customers. Even for baking, we have to spend money and the Prajapati (government) here does not give anything, unlike in Gujarat where state provides a lot of material and aide," said Tank.

But the feel for staying connected is not lost either. "If one has to go strictly by the money one earns, you would ask why are you even making this if I tell you the expenses we incur in buying colours? The money for us is that less. But then this is what has come to us for generations and I want to keep doing something," said Jhala.

For her delight, Shilpa Ganvir, one of those purchasing diyas in Dharavi is one such who prefers what those like Jhala, Tank and Karsen have made. "I come here regularly to buy things. They are made by locals and I like to encourage the Indian talent. It is our culture and we should promote it," said Ganvir.