As pottery art is gradually fading away, Palhallan village in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district is fighting against all odds to keep the art alive by making Tandoors.(large urn-shaped traditional oven).
Around 35-40 families in Palhallan are directly associated with the business. As per them they make Tandoors only as it is the only thing that has remained of the ebbing art.
The Tandoors of Palhallan are famous across Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions for their durability and long life. They are used to bake unleavened flatbreads, such as roti and naan, as well as to roast meat.
From the past several decades, each year around 600-650 tandoors are being manufactured in Palhallan village, then they are being sold in different parts in J&K and Ladakh.
Abdul Rashid Kumar, a local from Kumar Mohalla of Palhallan, told Rising Kashmir that pottery art is witnessing massive decline over the past two decades and now tandoor is the last hope of this dying art.
“Tandoor is found in every corner of Kashmir inside traditional bakery shops, but there is struggle and fight behind its survival. Except Tandoors there is nothing left in pottery art in Kashmir as it is one major product which still has good demand in the market,” Kumar said.
He says during the summer season, his four member team prepares over 100 tandoors and later they sell them locally and sometimes they are exported to Ladakh, Jammu and other regions of India.
“Tandoors prepared in Palhallan are known for their soil quality and heat retention,” he said.
Kumar said in the past, they received orders from New Delhi and other parts of India. There is still a good market and we are exploring new opportunities and options each passing day.
Kumar says there are two major categories of Tandoors being manufactured including traditional clay Tandoors and drum Tandoors used in hotels, restaurants.
“We are more focused on Tandoor work as it provides more employment opportunities to our youth. Atleast they are getting something as there are employment crisis all over the world including Kashmir. We are thankful to Almighty Allah,” he said.
About the price of Tandoor, Kumar says it ranges from 2000 to 6000 rupees. There is good demand for baker Tandoors in the valley.
Mohammad Ashraf Kumar, who is also associated with manufacturing of Tandoors in Palhallan village, said due to modernization and industrialization, pottery has witnessed massive decline in the valley.
Blaming high prices of necessary raw materials for the fall of industry and lack of support from the government, Ashraf says, high prices of essentials material like clay and wood have affected the industry adversely.
“Although Tandoors manufactured here have a unique name. Even people from far flung areas love to use our Tandoors. We are selling them on affordable process as compared to the hard work of moulding the clay,” he said.
Ashraf said in the past they used to sell other products of pottery in nearby areas but it has been replaced by plastic, steel and copper utensils.
“Now we are trying to focus only on tandoors. It is the work of our forefathers and we will try to keep it alive with each passing challenge,” he said.
“Art never dies, it will keep changing its forms and will survive in different forms and challenges,” Ashraf said.
