From Clay To Tea Cups - A Day In The Life Of The Earthen 'Bhaar' Makers Of Kolkata

This ¡®chai pe charcha¡¯ started at one of my favourite haunts where my friend and I head for a cup of evening tea in North Kolkata.

So here, we were discussing the usual politics, world affairs and popular movies when suddenly I was once again struck by the aroma that emanates from an earthen cup of sweetened tea that will often leave you in blessed swoons. We often admire the way a particular tea or ¡®cha¡¯ has been made - if it¡¯s too strong, too light, too sweet or not sweet enough, but we seldom talk about the ¡®bhaanr¡¯ or earthen vessel in which it comes. Do not get me wrong, it is always there at the periphery of our conscience, always adored but never discussed. Look at it this way, whenever we are at a tea stall, we always say ¡°Dada, ek cup bhaanre cha deben,¡± (Brother, give me tea in an earthen cup), don¡¯t we?

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So as all discussions over tea go, this started off with how good the tea was and not long afterwards we had already planned out a day when we would be searching the streets of Kolkata for the elusive ¡®bhaanr¡¯ or earthen tea cup makers.

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As it turned out, most people talk about two places where earthen tea cups are made. One is in Kalighat, and the other one is near the sewage canal in Ultadanga. Having decided to turn our plan into a reality, we were soon merrily on our way to Ultadanga to give our ¡®charcha¡¯ more colour.

Walk down the street right beside Bidhan Nagar Station that goes towards Lake Town. You will soon come across a canal and a foot bridge running across it. Cover that little distance and one can find themselves in a small potter¡¯s lane.

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It is here, among these miniature idol makers, that few families who make the beloved ¡®bhaanr¡¯ for the tea loving Kolkatans live.

As we walked across the narrow road beside the canal, replete with idols drying out in the sun for the upcoming Saraswati Pujas, we soon came across a shanty, nothing more than that, with mud walls, tiled roofs, and a big black goat tied at the entrance. The road takes a natural right turn from there and meanders away into more unknown lanes, right in front is the rail bridge, whose occasional monotony is broken by the trains rumbling in and out over the suspension.

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It is here that Ramdhar Prajapati and his family live and make earthen tea pots for a living.

It is a humble home, to say the least. The family has sat down for lunch when we finally make our way across the lane to their doorstep. While we are initially a bit hesitant they soon make us feel welcome and we have a heart-to-heart conversation with the beautiful family about making tea-cups for a living.

Ramdhar Prajapati¡¯s family is into the business of earthen tea cups making since the inception of the colony here. A taut mane, with a sun beaten brow and a sunken gaze, replete with a heavy moustache, his is the third generation who is keeping the family business alive. In his late 50s Prajapati says, ¡°It was my grandfather who came to Kolkata almost six decades ago from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. I remember my father telling the story of my grandfather's days in the city, struggling to make ends meet.

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How he made it to Kolkata when the train tickets were just Rs 2. Ramdhar goes on to add how his father would reminiscence about those days when the bridges were all wood and Ultadanga was still mostly wilderness. ¡°But times change, civilization has had its effects and now look around, this is a bustling colony.¡±

Nearly 30 families are associated with making tea cups in this settlement.

They have been working for most part of the morning, and it is time for their siesta, so while Ramdhar brusquely goes off for his nap, he asks one of his younger wards to help us with any query that we may have. (A crowd of youngsters has gathered by then, eager to hear what is being said.)

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Ajay Prajapati is a third year B.A student who is a bit shy and soft spoken but helpful with the information he gives. Dressed in a yellow tee, the youngster would rather sit for the government exam than choose the path of making cups as a living. However, he knows his way across the trade and soon has an interesting dialogue regarding the business with us.

¡°Cups of various sizes are being made here which are used for serving tea at small tea stalls. Some bigger tea joints are also using these tea cups but it has many middle men and we are just paid the same amount,¡± says Ajay, adding, ¡°Apart from tea sellers, sweet shops also buy larger earthen containers from us for curd and sweets.¡±

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Ask him where he sources the clay from and his younger brother, 12-year-old Suraj quips in, ¡°It's from Canning.¡± Ajay elucidates, ¡°The clay for making cups are brought from Canning in trucks. A truck full of clay costs ten thousand rupees and is shared by five to seven families. The clay is first moulded into the shape of cups and then dried for one and a half to two days then it is baked for hardening.¡±

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¡°The entire process takes three to four days. A total of 12 hours are needed to bake the cups,¡± says Ajay.

Ajay soon takes me to one of the poorly lit back rooms which is the actual clay oven where the cups are baked. Rows of earthen cups are stacked in a circle. The ones outside are black with burn marks and soot while the ones in the inner circle look more like the red shaded cups we are used to seeing.

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Ajay explains that the outside circle is to hold the ones which are being baked together. He shows me the underground oven where the coals are placed and the entire baking process takes place. ¡°It is the baking which gives the cups its red hue. 50 kg of clay is used each day to manufacture around 3,000 cups.¡±

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However, young Ajay feels that the business is nowhere as good as it used to be.

¡°We had much more orders earlier, but the plastic and thermocol cups have completely ruined the business for us, it is difficult making ends meet.¡±

¡°There is no place for much of a profit here in this business,¡± says Ajay, adding, ¡°A small size cup costs 40 paisa while prices increase with size. The biggest size just fetch Rs 1.50. Around three thousand tea cups are manufactured each day.¡± The market which is completely indigenous has undoubtedly seen some downfall in the last few years.

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It is interesting to note that these cups are perhaps one of the best eco-friendly products available in the market. Both Ramdhar and Ajay feel that while there has been a steady decline in sales, a new thought has indeed emerged where people are looking at earthen tea cups as healthy alternatives which will not harm nature. It is a long journey, feel both, while Ramdhar urges the people who can make a change usher in a new dawn by being more proactive towards their little settlement.