Manamadurai Pottery [UPSC Notes]

Tamil Nadu’s Manamadurai pottery has been awarded a Geographical Indication tag by the Geographical Indication registry. In this context, it is important to understand what is Manamadurai pottery, what is its uniqueness, and how the GI tag will help it and its artisans. This topic is very relevant for the IAS exam prelims.

Manamadurai Pottery

Image source: The Hindu

• Manamadurai is located in the Sivagangai district of Tamil Nadu and is known for pottery making.
• The base material for the pot is clay which is enriched by the Vaigai River.
• The main raw materials required for making pots are soil and water. Pottery making requires expertise since in order for the pot to be placed flat on the surface the circumference of the pot and neck needs to be proportionate.
• The bottom of the pot needs to be perfectly round and for the pots to be very strong requires the right proportion of mud, clay and heat.

How are Manamadurai Pots made?

• The basic material for pottery is sand which is collected from different parts of the district and dried for two days. Mud is filtered through sieving to remove various unwanted particles.
• A semi-liquid mixture of slurry is mixed with sand along with lead and graphite to strengthen the quality of the mixture.
• Different colours are used to paint the pot and the slurry mixture is rich in calcium lime, ash, red lead, sodium silicate, manganese, iron, and plasticizing.
• The five elements of nature namely earth, water, fire, sun and air are used while making these pots making these pots very unique.

What is a GI Tag?

• Geographical Indication is used on products that have a unique and specific geographical origin and possess qualities attributable to their geographical origin.
• Geographical indications are typically used for agricultural products, foodstuffs, wine and spirit drinks, handicrafts, and industrial products. 
• The government of India enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, of 1999  which came into force in September 2003.
• Darjeeling Tea of West Bengal was the first product to receive the GI tag in India. Both the product and the logo received the GI tag.

Know more about geographical indication tags in the linked article.

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