This region’s tradition of pottery dates back hundreds of centuries and still thrives in many parts of the city today. The Kumhar Road which literally means the potter’s road is home to earthenware shops, which have existed here since before the British Raj. Shops along this two kilometre road, which connects Gawalmandi with Jinnah Road, sell earthenware ovens, stoves, pots, utensils and decorative items. Even traditional toys made out of clay are sold here.

Glazed clay pots with a wide mouth known as Handi, were traditionally used for cooking. These pots lend their name to a popular meat dish called Handi, cooked and served in these pots.

Before the partition of India, this bazaar housed almost three dozen potters’ shops and workshops. Today, the number of these shops has been reduced to around 10, with three selling clay utensils and seven shops which sell earthenware ovens or tandoor. Potters set-up their workshops in places where water is plenty and it was the proximity of this area to the Leh Nullah, which attracted the potters.

Traditional clay pots called Matkas are used all over India and Pakistan to store water and keep it cool.

“In the past, a potter would set up his workshop on the banks of a stream or river and at the time when this bazaar was established, Leh Nullah was a stream of clean water. You can still see the Dhobi Ghat on the banks of the nullah, where dhobis would use the water from the stream for their laundry,” said Hussain Butt, the owner of a shop on Kumhar Road.

Mr Butt explained that most potters who had shops in this area, before the partition of India, were Hindu and left for India.

Earthenware dishes piled at the back of a shop on Kumhar Road.

“The Hindu potters would make earthenware idols and some big and small temples built by them in this area, still exist,” he said. Today, he said, most shops no longer have workshops attached and goods for stock are brought from Gujrat, Gujranwala, Attock and other cities.

A potter has added a touch of paint to lend colour to this clay pitcher.

“Local potters now only make flower pots and ovens,” he said. The workshops , he said, were shifted because kilns for firing the clay can no longer exist in cities. Among the items lining the racks in his shop are clay water coolers, complete with a plastic nozzle. “This is a fairly new invention to replace clay pots used in most houses to keep water clean and cool. Using clay utensils for water storage is a healthier option than plastic bottles,” he said.

The perforated surface of this electric lamp is decorative and lets out light.

An unbaked clay teapot used mainly for decoration.

Photos by Khurram Amin

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play