Mahpara Bisati/Mohd Saqib
SRINAGAR, Feb 28: At an age when most graduates polish CVs for corporate jobs or pursue digital careers, 21-year-old Muntazir Ali from Bemina spends his days shaping clay, determined to revive a tradition Kashmir had nearly forgotten.
In a modest workshop lined with earthen pots, plates and water bottles, his hands move with patience and purpose.
A final-year student of commerce at Govt Degree College, Bemina, he has spent the past five years restoring Kashmir’s fading culture of clay utensils – once common in households but later replaced by steel, plastic and ceramic ware.
He comes from no family of potters and inherited neither kiln nor craft. The decision was entirely his own. “I wanted to do something unique, something uncommon in Kashmir,” he says. “This clay art had almost vanished, so I decided to revive it.”
Earthenware once held an important place in Kashmiri homes, but with changing lifestyles and modern materials, clay utensils gradually disappeared from kitchens.
Muntazir saw not only a dying craft but also an opportunity.
The terracotta clay he uses is sourced from Budgam district, where artisans mould basic forms. The unfinished pieces are then brought to his shop in Bemina, where they are hand-painted and decorated.
Some designs draw inspiration from Kashmir’s traditional paper-mâché art, blending two local crafts into one product.
He offers affordable options – glasses starting at Rs 50 and plates at Rs 100 – positioning them as accessible alternatives to factory-made ceramics.
Earthen water bottles, especially in summer, are popular for keeping water cool without electricity or refrigeration.
His store initially drew modest business. However, over the past two years, demand has grown steadily amid rising interest in sustainable and health-conscious living.
“People didn’t even know such utensils existed in our culture. When they see them, they feel happy,” he says.
Choosing clay over a conventional career brought resistance.
Friends questioned the financial viability of pottery in an era dominated by technology and corporate jobs. For a young graduate, a desk job seemed safer.
For Muntazir, the uncertainty was worth the risk. “Kashmir has so much art. We just need to value it and recognise it,” he says.
What began as an unconventional choice is now evolving into a mission to preserve culture.
He hopes to expand local production, train aspiring artisans, and encourage young people to see pottery not as outdated labour but as a viable creative profession.
He also advocates introducing pottery in schools to reconnect children with traditional crafts.
In a world driven by rapid technological change, Muntazir’s work offers a quiet reminder: progress does not always mean abandoning the past. Sometimes, it means returning to it – one handful of soil at a time.
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