Low Sales:tough luck for potters on Ugadi

The price of the pots ranged between Rs 50 and Rs 200 depending on the size, volume and design. Lavanya, a potter woman at Mahatma Gandhi Statue Chowrastha at Amberpet, said, “The sale of the pots has come down considerably compared to the previous years.

People try to haggle and bring the price down to Rs 30. But we cannot sell at a loss.” Claiming that she hadn’t sold even half her wares, Lavanya said, “I bought stock worth Rs 6,000 but I managed to sell only Rs 1,000 worth merchandise on Ugadi.

Selling a pot worth Rs 200 is very difficult as people want to buy the same at Rs 80 or Rs 100,and likewise a pot of Rs 100 they want to buy at Rs 40 to 50.” Earthen pots, which, in the days of old, were used as natural refrigerators, were in great demand until a decade ago. “As a majority of the people has fridges at home, our profession has lost its significance.

Only a few know the real benefits of the earthen pots. We have to conduct business in the hot sun for meagre returns,” she said. Manjula, another potter woman at Chilkalguda, said, “I am in this line of business for over 30 years now.

It is a family profession. The significance of the using earthen pots is lost on the people. People only buy a pot for the festival as it is a tradition. Little do they know that pot water is enriched with minerals and is not overcooled but has an optimum temperature.”