With the festival of light Diwali round the corner, Uttar Pradesh terracotta items have gained traction as viable gifting options.
The inclusion of terracotta in UP’s flagship One District One Product (ODOP) scheme has transformed the fortunes of beleaguered artisans, and accorded vibrancy to the traditional craft.
Once struggling owing to lack of institutional and government support, the traditional art of terracotta is now gaining popularity among its patrons.
According to a UP government official, the craftsmen are overwhelmed with orders, struggling to meet the high demand for terracotta range.
With festive orders pouring in, the Diwali business for artisans started seeing an uptick even before the Navratra celebrations.
Having dispatched 30 truckloads of terracotta items to different states, the artisans in Gorakhpur are now focused on catering the local Diwali market.
The demand for Gorakhpur’s famed terracotta has doubled compared to last year’s festive season, especially for Dussehra and Diwali festivals.
National award-winning terracotta artisan Rajan Prajapati said he shipped 15 truckloads of items for Dussehra and Diwali to places like Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow and even Rajasthan. Last year, he shipped 8 truckloads.
Now, the artisans, he claimed, needed no advertisements to sell their products, as UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s deft promotion of terracotta generated a steady stream of orders.
Meanwhile, fellow artisans including Pannalal Prajapati supplied 8 trucks, Hariom Azad 2 trucks, Mohanlal and Sohanlal Prajapati 2 trucks each, and Hiralal Prajapati 1 truck.
Yogi’s designation of terracotta as an ODOP of Gorakhpur in 2018, proved to be a game-changer for the indigenous craft and artisans, propelling the handicraft to newer heights and bringing prosperity to the segment.
With access to modern tools such as electric wheels, pugmills and design machines, the craftsmen’s work has become more efficient, tripling or even quadrupling productivity.