Rohtas, a 55-year-old man from Bhiwadi, Rajasthan has been putting up a temporary shop on the main Vyapaar Kendra road, right next to the Mother Dairy for the past 18 years. “Every festive season I set up this 10-day shack here with a make-do cloth cover just a few days before Diwali. I sell earthen lamps of various sizes, shapes, and colours with matt or a glossy finish and the price ranges from 12 rupees for a dozen up to a hundred rupees for five” Says he with a smirk on his face… “Whosoever purchases from me once, remembers me forever because my products are good and I greet my customers with a warmth that they can never forget…”
The other items on display are ethnic mud statuettes depicting Lord Shiva, Ram-Sita, Krishna, Radha, and the classic woman carrying an earthen water pot – all with vibrant, vivacious colours. Then there are Urlis and the usual Diwali Puja Samagri, or, in short, all that one can sell in this festive season. “This one that shows the head of the woman bigger than the water pitcher on her head is made by my grandson”, he bursts into a big laughter. This shows how the expertise of pottery making is being passed down to their off-shoots and generations.
Asked as to what he does during the remaining part of the year, he says “We are actually blacksmiths. We produce construction tools like fawda, ghainti, hathoda, chhaini and the other hardware stuff. “This pottery work is primarily handled by the ladies of our house. Most of the stuff that you see here is no longer produced by us now – we get them made in Rajasthan, transport the stuff here, and trade them. Most of the shop owners that you see here do the same.
Rohtas, with his 9-meter long, rope-like Bandhni turban and light eyes, with mini rings on his ears, claims to be a descendent of Maharana Pratap, has lived in the Chittorgarh District during his days of infancy, believes in hard work and feels a lot of delight in not taking any day off. “There hasn’t been much innovation in our work,” he sighs – “The type of diyas with which the Maharana used to adorn his palace in the 16th century haven’t evolved much in design. I have 5 children – All of them are married and are in the same or similar profession – that lady you see relaxing on the charpoy is my wife.”
“After a day’s work, we walk down to the area where we bathe, eat, relax, and call it a day… The police or the RWA does not bother us at all – these are the only days when we people can take the liberty of setting up stalls without having to take anybody’s permission – it is a done thing every year…”
