Vinayagar Chaturthi idol makers in Tiruchy struggle as clay shortage hits production

With Vinayagar Chaturthi approaching, more than 40 pottery families in two hamlets near Tiruchy are facing an unusual crisis: they have orders to fulfil, but not enough good-quality clay to make the idols.

The shortage of suitable raw material has disrupted production at a crucial time, leaving many artisans with unfinished work as they enter the final week before the festival. For families that depend on the season to earn a significant share of their income, the uncertainty has added to growing concerns over the future of their traditional craft.

The potters make small Vinayagar idols, household earthenware and ceremonial fire pots. Unlike larger idol-making centres known for towering festival installations, these hamlets specialise in idols generally measuring less than 1.5 feet.

Their biggest challenge this year is not demand, but the material needed to shape the products.

Desilted earth fails to meet pottery needs

Permission was recently granted to remove desilted earth from a pond in Inamkulathur, offering the artisans some hope. Around 10 truckloads of material have since been transported to the hamlets.

However, much of the earth has proved unsuitable for pottery.

Artisans say only a portion of the material can be used, as the rest is mixed with sludge and lacks the firmness required for moulding idols and pots. Products made using poor-quality material are also more likely to crack or break during drying, firing and transportation.

For generations, pottery thrived in these settlements because of their access to the Cauvery and Kollidam rivers. Clay and fine sand from the riverbeds provided artisans with a dependable mixture that was easier to mould and less prone to cracking.

Restrictions on accessing these traditional sources have since forced potters to look elsewhere.

Rising costs add to artisans' troubles

Several families now depend on clay purchased from privately owned farmland in Thuraiyur, Musiri and Lalgudi.

But buying the material and transporting it over long distances has pushed up production costs, cutting into already limited earnings.

The problem is not new. A shortage of clay had also affected production during the previous Pongal season, when several artisans were unable to manufacture enough pots to meet local demand.

While the small Vinayagar idols are largely sold within Tiruchy, the pottery families also supply clay pots and fire pots for Amman festivals across Tiruchy, Perambalur and Ariyalur districts.

The continued uncertainty over raw material has now raised fears about the survival of a craft that has supported generations of families.

The artisans are seeking a dependable and affordable source of quality clay. They have also called for easier permission to collect riverbed clay under official supervision whenever environmental conditions and water flow allow limited and safe extraction.

For the pottery families, a regular supply of suitable clay is about more than meeting festival orders. It could determine whether a generations-old occupation continues to remain viable in the years ahead.

With IANS inputs