Origin: Haryana is predominantly an agricultural state ensuring both women and men work in the field. Hence, crafts remains rooted to its original usage. This craft is also known as villager’s craft. Pre- Aryan times witnessed the initiation of this handicraft. It has its roots buried at the time of wheel invention.

Present Day: The most famous item of the pottery is Earthenware or the pots. Haryana is famed for its clay hukkas and pipes. Pottery in Haryana varies from simple pots meant for daily use to highly artistic decorative pieces. In Jhajjar, in Rohtak district, pitchers made with clay hold significant value as the clay adds sweet taste to the water stored in the pitcher.The most beautiful thing about these pots are that they are available in vivid shapes and colours.  The most important articles of pottery are household utensils, toys like miniature cow, animals, horses, people, houses and sepoys. They also make beautiful decorative items like vases, lamp shades, and figurines.Lamps, pitchers, flower vases, pots, musical instruments, clay toys, goblets, human and animal figures, plaques, medallions, and wall hangings etc are produced in large variety in Haryana.

Procedure: Each piece of pottery is crafted by a fascinating process with grace, love dedication and patience. Potter and helper come together to mix the raw ingredients. The typical pots are created by rotating the mixture on the pottery wheel. The wheel is not operated by hand, rather feet are used to keep the wheel moving. For this difficult and time-consuming procedure, molds are used to make varied shapes and sizes. The raw materials are mixed together to make dough. Dough is then rolled and flattened to the form of a 4-5 mm thick ‘Chapatti’(pancake) which is then put into moulds with a mixture of fine ‘Bajri’(stones) and ‘Raakh’ (ash made from burnt wood). Then the item is removed from the mould and is left to dry. The pottery item is then cleaned and shaped, is rubbed with Sandpaper to polish the surface. It is then dipped in a mixture of quartz powder, powdered glass, edible flour (maida) and water and dried.  The main shape and the pot is created by the men and the painting or the decoration is done by the women. The colours used in the painting are derived from different chemicals such as Blue colour from cobalt oxide, green from copper oxide. 

Bring Home Pottery: You can buy pottery items from different markets of Rewari, Jhajjar, Pinjore, Rohtak, Bahardurgarh and other famous parts of Haryana, and different state emporiums.