Being an inquisitive photographer, the craving to visit and explore new places is always on the top of my mind! Born and brought up in Mumbai city, sometimes you think you know everything about this city. But then do you? There is always a lot more to see, explore, know, and grasp in the financial capital of India.
With growing interest in photography, my urge to discover new and unexplored destinations kept increasing. To satisfy this newfound urge, I started attending photowalks conducted by various communities formed by photographers and made many good friends.
One fine day, I was participating in one such photowalk. All participants were to meet up near a church at Dharavi. We all know that Dharavi is a famous slum area in Mumbai and also happens to be the largest slum area in all of Asia. It is a densely populated area providing home and a source of livelihood to a large population since the early 19th century. But, that day I discovered that there exists a large colony called Kumbharwada in Dharavi.
Kumbharwada means potters colony. The word ‘kumbhar’ means potter and ‘wada’ means colony. This area is spread across a whopping 12 acres of land and is known to be the largest community of potters living in Mumbai. They are all into the business of pottery and in Dharavi most people are identified by the business they are engaged in. It is over a century old settlement and you will find most of the locals are skilled potters who migrated from Saurashtra, Gujarat. These locals bring along their decades-old skills to make pots and other artefacts out of clay to earn a living. Kumbharwada is home to thousands of such families.
The people here are extremely friendly and welcoming. Once you enter the narrow lanes, you will be surprised by their sheer dedication and determination. The people of Kumbharwada have established their business over the years where locals are solely engaged in the generations-old pottery business! They make their livelihood out of their skill in pottery and at making several other artefacts using clay. There is high demand for their products not only in India but also in countries like Japan, Germany etc.
It is very interesting to see the way their business is laid out in such a small place. They have their store to keep safe the raw material which is mostly clay and their finished products. Though the locals are extremely friendly and willing to pose for pictures when you ask them too, they are absolutely professional and dedicated to their work too.
As a photographer, it is nothing less than paradise where you can capture the true essence of streets and portraits. There are many photoshoots also conducted in Kumbharwada to bring in the aesthetic feeling and rustic look in pictures. The light coming through the narrow lanes during the early morning hours make for some great pictures. To capture the making of the beautiful pots while the potters are at it in full swing using the traditional old methods is a delight to watch.
The locals here take their business quite seriously and are thoroughly skilled in their art. They will be upfront in telling you to step aside if you are coming in the way of their making process. You will see them making saucers, bowls, pots, vases, diyas, vessels and so many other things out of clay. The entire colony is adorned by a vibrant avatar during the festivals like Navratri and Diwali. You will find thousands of pots made here everyday as the demand is at its peak during those festivals.
The lower floor and basement type low lying rooms are used as their work areas while the upper floors are used as residence. They even have furnaces built to bake over a 100 pots at once. It is fascinating to see how such a large community co-existed and successfully conducted their business in such scarce space.
The small houses with their colorful doors, lovely kids around and jolly natured elders will accommodate you with open arms and give a big smile when you click them. As a photographer, I feel it is important to be courteous and request permission before clicking a photo. It was very humbling to see their excitement and the feeling of being treated as a celebrity when I sought permission to click their pictures or of the surroundings.
The heartwarming attitude from the locals encouraged many budding photographers to come and explore this area where the business of making pots has been flourishing since ages. Kumbharwada may be a part of the largest slum in Asia, but it surely is not a slum. It is a business hub with brilliant businessmen that may not have management degrees but know how to manage and grow their business successfully despite the scarcity of resources.
The younger generation is also actively and religiously involved in the entire business process. They are also highly educated but do not want to move out of Kumbharwada simply because of the love and respect they have for the land that has made them what they are today.
While most of us look at visiting the popular tourist places in Mumbai, a visit to Kumbharwada will surely give you loads of learning and experiences that you can share and ponder over for years.