6.K. Krishnaiah, Pot Makers in India
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RNI Title Code: TELENG/2017/74418 ISSN: 2581-6322 SPWI Journal For Social Welfare (A Multi-Disciplinary Peer-Reviewed Bi-Quarterly Social Science Research Journal) Volume : 1 Issue : 2 October-December 2018 An ISO 9001-2015 Certified Journal Contents 1. The Effectiveness of 498-(A) IPC- A Study 1 --------- Dr. S. Balabrahma Chary 2. Working System of One Stop Centre Scheme- A Study 21 --------- Dr. D. Suresh 3. Problems Facing By Women Bank Managers in Public and Private Sector 33 --------- Dr. A. Kishore Kumar & Dr. M. Kavitha 4. Transgenders in India and Their Characteristics 42 --------- Dr. Ch. Ravinder 5. Education and Tribal Development: A Study in Mahabubabad District 63 --------- Dr. Gugulothu Kavitha 6. Pot Makers in India 71 --------- K. Krishnaiah 7. Performance of Childline Service- A Case Study 78 --------- Ragi Krishna Murthy 8. Agriculture Production Patterns in Telangana State- A Study in 84 Tribal Areas --------- Kumara Swamy Moutam 9. Consequence of the Health Problems on Scheduled Tribes - 105 A Study in Telangana State --------- P. Ravi Kumar 10. Women Policing in Telangana State- A Study 119 --------- R. Shobha Rani 11. Protection of Women’s Human Rights Role of Judiciary in India 135 --------- Marka Kiran 12. Socio, Economic and Educational Status of Lambada Tribe Women- 143 A Study --------- B. Vijaya SPWI Journal For Social Welfare, 1 (2), October – December 2018. ISSN: 2581-6322 71 RNI Title Code: TELENG/2017/74418 ISSN: 2581-6322 SPWI Journal For Social Welfare (A Multi-Disciplinary Peer-Reviewed Bi-Quarterly Social Science Research Journal) Volume : 1 Issue : 2 October-December 2018 An ISO 9001-2015 Certified Journal POT MAKERS IN INDIA K. Krishnaiah Lecturer, Government Junior College, Alere, Yadadri (Bongir), Telangana 9441184666 [email protected] Abstract: Those vivid eyes gazing and cautious hands moving relentlessly in synchronization on the wheel as a mass of clay gets transformed to a pot and one who sees it happen sings praise for the mesmerizing skills, these people who are known to be potters, possess. Pottery being an age-old prominent handicraft in India, its roots here can be traced back to the earliest times of civilization. It has sustained for eons and is a massive employment creator in both rural and urban areas. The present paper explains the Kummari or Potter community history. Keywords: Kummari history, distribution, caste,and customs. Introduction A man should be known for its work, the virtue and ability one puts in its work but this proclamation doesn’t always hold in some scenarios. In a developing country like ours which has shown unprecedented growth in almost all major sectors, we are still struggling to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor and everyone doesn’t seem to share the piece of cake.One such left out the community in India is that of potters. Pottery is an art of making different objects by carefully molding clay. The sheer hard work they put and the skills through which they design those very pots are magnificent. But their fate seems to be sailing in choppy waters as most of the industries are shut and most of the craftsmen are either unemployed or paid too little. It feels perplexing to see their plight today as they used to be a major revenue generator in the country and as the modernization of the nation began, they started losing their sheen. SPWI Journal For Social Welfare, 1 (2), October – December 2018. ISSN: 2581-6322 72 Pot Makers in India As the modern ways of plastic made crafts forayed into our household people living in urban areas started relying on them and the traditional handicrafts lost their cluster. People don’t recognize the haphazard of these artificial products all they care is about affluence. The government has tried to revive the industry by offering incentives for the handicrafts industries to avert their death and also by conducting fairs and seminars where they can showcase their skilled labour but the scenario doesn’t seem to have improved.It’s appalling to see that they don’t get the same recognition, respect,and remuneration as one should get after putting so much effort into their work. Kumhar or Potter Kumhar is a caste or community in India and Pakistan. Kumhar literally means potter in Indian languages. Depending upon the subgroup or region, in India, they are classified as both OBC and the SC. Etymology The Kumhars derive their name from the Sanskrit word Kumbhakar meaning earthen-pot maker. Dravidian languages conform to the same meaning of the term Kumbhakar. The term Bhande used to designate the Kumhar caste, also means pot. The potters of Amritsar are called Kulal or Kalal, the term used in Yajurveda to denote the pottery class. Mythological Origin A section of Hindu Kumhars honorifically calls themselves Prajapati after Vedic Prajapati, the Lord, who created the universe. According to a legend prevalent among Kumhars Once Brahma divided sugarcane among his sons and each of them ate his share, but the Kumhara who was greatly absorbed in his work forgot to eat. The piece which he had kept near his clay lump struck root and soon grew into a sugarcane plant. A few days later, when Brahma asked his sons for sugarcane, none of them could give it to him, excepting the Kumhara who offered a full plant. Brahma was pleased by the devotion of the potter to his work and awarded him the title Prajapati. There is an opinion that this is because of their traditional creative skills of pottery, they are regarded as Prajapati. Divisions The Potters are classified into Hindu and Muslim cultural groups. Among Hindus, the inclusion of Artisan castes in Shudra Varna is indisputable. The potters belong to SPWI Journal For Social Welfare, 1 (2), October – December 2018. ISSN: 2581-6322 K. Krishnaiah 73 the Shudra group of artisans of Hindu society. They are further divided into two groups- clean caste and unclean caste. Among the Kumhars are groups such as the Gujrati Kumhar, Rana Kumhar, Lad and Telangi. They all, bear these names after different cultural-linguistic zones or caste groups but are termed as one caste cluster. Potters Distribution in India Chamba (Himachal): The Kumhars of Chamba are expert in making pitchers, Surahis, vessels, grain jars, toys for entertainment and earthen lamps. Some of these pots bear paintings and designs also. Gujarat: Kumhars are listed among the Other Backward Classes of Gujarat, where they are listed with the following communities: Prajapati (Gujjar Prajapati, Varia Prajapati, Sorthia Prajapati), Sorathiya Prajapati. Madhya Pradesh: Hathretie and Chakretie (or Challakad) Kumhars are found in Madhya Pradesh. Hathretie Kumhars are called so because they traditionally moved the “chak” (potter’s wheel) by hands (“hath”). Gola is a common surname among Kumhars in Madhya Pradesh. They are categorized as an SC in Chhatarpur, Datia, Panna, Satna, Tikamgarh, Sidhi, and Shahdol districts but elsewhere in the state, they are listed among Other Backward Classes. Maharashtra (Marathe): Kumhars are found in Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Sholapur, and Pune. They speak in Marathi among themselves but in Marathi as well as Hindi with outsiders. They use Devanagari script for communication. There are Kumbhars who do not belong to Maratha clan lives in Maharashtra and have the occupation of making idols and pots. They are aware of the Hindu Varna hierarchy and consider themselves to be the Shudra, the lowest rank. Orissa and Bengal: In Bengal Kumhars are one among the ceremonially pure castes. The Jagannatha Kumhars of Orissa, who provide vessels for the rice distribution in Jagannath temple, have a much higher rank in the society than the Kumhars of Central India. Rajasthan: In Rajasthan, Kumhars (Also known as Prajapati) have six sub-groups namely Mathera, Kumavat, Kheteri, Marwara, Timria, andMawalia. In the social hierarchy of Rajasthan, they are placed in the middle of the higher castes and the Harijans. They follow endogamy with clan exogamy. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar: The Kannuaja Kumhars are considered to be a Shudra caste in both Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Although they sometimes use the term Pandit with their names, they do so as a suffix rather than prefixing it in the SPWI Journal For Social Welfare, 1 (2), October – December 2018. ISSN: 2581-6322 74 Pot Makers in India honorific style that is used by Brahmins. The Magahiya Kumhars are treated little inferior to the Kanaujias and the Turkaha (Gadhere) Kumhars rank with untouchables. The Prajapati are among 17 OBC communities that were proposed for Scheduled Caste status by the Samajwadi Party-controlled Government of Uttar Pradesh in 2016. However, this proposal, which relates to voting bank politics, has been stayed by the courts; the prior attempt had been rejected by the Government of India. Kummari in Telangana Kummari caste The Kummari caste (also known as Salivahana) comes under BC category. In Andhra Pradesh, Telangana Salivahana caste is recognized by Government of India and Government of Andhra Pradesh as per GO. Ms.No. 28 BCW (M1) Dept., dated 2 1995. It has been used in many Indian inscriptions and in ancient Sanskrit inscriptions in Indochina and Indonesia. The reformed calendar promulgated by the Indian government from 1957 is reckoned by this era. It is alleged to have been founded by King Kanicka. Salivahana era The Shalivahana era, also known as the Saka era, is used with Hindu calendars, the Indian national calendar, the Balinese calendar, the Javanese calendar, and the Cambodian Buddhist calendar. Its year zero begins near the vernal equinox of the year 78. The Western Kshatrapas (35–405 BC) were Saka rulers of south-western India (Saurashtra, Malwa modern Gujarat, Southern Sindh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka). They were successors to the Indo-Scythians who invaded Ujjain and established the Saka era and calendar, marking the beginning of the Saka Western Satraps kingdom.