Tradition beckons: Village moulds ‘Onathappans' against all odds
The once-plentiful clay fields of Kerala are no longer accessible due to a 2015 ban on dredging, which was aimed at preventing deep trenching for brick-making that harmed agriculture. With the shortage of clay, the main ingredient, the pottery-making itself has been dwindling over the years, not to mention about 'Onathappan'. The clay pyramid-like structure symbolising Lord Vishnu's Vamana avatar is a must for many households in the central region to observe Onam in the traditional way. They place the clay structure along with 'athapookalam' – the flower carpet that is laid out during the 10-day festive season.
But a handful of potters like Thoppil Unni, from Thoppe in Karumalloor, where nearly 100 families were engaged in the traditional craft till a decade back, continue undeterred. Unni now sources his primary raw material from outside the state, mostly Bengaluru, bringing in multiple types of clay to ensure the right consistency for his products.
'We've started making 'Onathappan' pieces of varying sizes for the upcoming festive season. A single piece has four faces and a flat top. We usually make at least 1,500 sets. A set consists of three big and two small pieces. They sell like hotcakes. During Onam, our people go to the Thrikkakara temple premises and Tripunithura to sell products. Tripunithura is especially a good market, the largest for Onathappans in the state. A trader can hope to get business of at least `10,000 a day there. Households in the central region consider the clay structures essential to celebrating Onam,' Unni says.
Potters can source clay from the outskirts of Bengaluru for `2.50/kg, though powdered clay would cost double that. However, they have to meet transportation costs. 'If we sell Onathappans directly, a single piece can fetch Rs 50. We charge up to Rs 250 for larger models. Those are mainly sold on the eve of Thiruvonam. Others are medium-sized. We sell a single set for Rs 200,' he adds.
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