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Haryana is basically a rural economy and pottery; essentially a village
craft is one of the main occupations. The potter's wheel, dating back to
pre-Aryan times, is the most common feature of any village in India.
Although numerous kinds of potters' wheels are used throughout India, in
Haryana the kick-operated type is common. With this device, one does not
need to use one's hands to turn the wheel as is normally the practice and
the feet are used, instead. The actual wheel may be either made up of
cement or stone.
The material for making earthen articles comes cheap, and from the earth
itself. While the potter works on the wheel, he has a helper who mixes the
clay, while a woman makes intricate designs on the finished vessel or toy.
Major Pottery Items
From utensils to toys to decorative pieces, clay forms the most essential
ingredient on which the potter literally survives. Haryana that abounds in
seasonal festivals, has the potters working in full gear in order to churn
out hundreds of toys like miniature cows, horses, people, houses and
sepoys, which are then sold in brightly decorated stalls along dusty
lanes.
Main Areas of Activity
In Haryana, the craft is practised at several places including Jhajjar,
Rewari, Bahadurgarh and Pinjore. Not very long
ago series of fancy-shaped water vessels, plates, cups, pipe bowls etc in
well-baked pottery were made at Rohtak in pale
reddish-brown colour. The glazed pottery is also produced here these days.