Traditional pottery skills fading in Bhojpur

In Bhojpur's villages, the tradition of making clay pots is disappearing as the new generation fails to learn the traditional craft. Clay items once widely used in households, such as water pitchers (gagri), pots (handi), jars (ghaito), and incense holders (dhupauro), are now rarely seen in villages.

As the skill fails to pass on, not only pot-making but also the practice of using such pots is declining. These clay vessels, once widely used for daily household chores as well as religious and cultural rituals, were considered an original identity of village life. Plastic and steel utensils have now taken their place.

According to Laxmi Prasad Adhikari, a local resident of Arun Rural Municipality-7, the profession itself is in crisis because the ancestral skill has not been passed on to the new generation. Making clay pots requires passing through many stages: selecting suitable clay, kneading it, shaping it, and finishing it for use. Because the work demands considerable skill, experience and time, young people are not drawn to this profession.