Visiting the famous pottery town of India : Khurja

The bustling and lively little town of Khurja is located about 100 kilometers southeast of Delhi. The name 'Khurja' seems a little intimidating considering it belongs to a western UP town, but when we read one or two popular legends on its nomenclature, all worries are dispelled. Some say it was named after an artisan par excellence- 'Khurram'; some others opine that it was named after the delectable 'Khurchan'- a sweetmeat made out of reduced milk (yummy!) 

Having read a fair bit about the place and having imagined the pleasures of seeing all the pottery action firsthand, we set course for it on the last weekend. We chose the Yamuna Expressway for its convenience and road quality and thanked our selection later when we saw the condition of the GT road at Khurja. As we drove on, the view of the impressive Noida skyline gave way to the lush greenery of paddy fields shouldering the expressway. A short 50-kilometer drive got us to the junction which leads to Khurja. We happily left the sophistication of Agra expressway and hopped on to the nondescript country road with pleasure. The road was lined with lush green trees and we could see pretty little huts at regular intervals. The weather was on our side right from the start and helped make the drive really comfortable. We reached our destination sometime after 2 in the afternoon. The signs of Khurja being a pottery town were visible everywhere. Retail outlets, ceramic factories, and even a mound of broken and discarded cups greeted us as we drove through the town.  

The history of pottery in Khurja, they say, dates back to the Mughal era. The more people you ask, the more are the stories you'll hear about it. Driving towards the market, we saw a few old buildings with antique architecture. Standing still and quiet, the aged houses spoke a lot about the time gone by. We happily captured a couple of the mansions in our camera. Most of the retail outlets are located on the Grand Trunk Road. There are plenty of pottery shops on either side of the road.

The shopkeepers had displayed ceramics outside their shops to attract prospective buyers. The vibrant and colorful pieces of pottery everywhere were enough to make us spoilt for choice. Eager to touch these handmade curios made us stop soon at a shop. It had displayed some green and red animal and bird-shaped planters. I was immersed in them for a while. The owner, Mr. Singh was a middle-aged gentleman. He told us about the history of the town, the old buildings, and the pottery culture of Khurja. I picked up a few planters for my garden.

We then went to the manufacturing unit of Khurja pottery. It is a really amazing art and you feel good to see the clay as it passes through the hands of artists till the time it is turned into a unique piece. The clay for making these potteries is procured from various places. It is then molded into the required shapes, hand-painted or glazed, and then baked in the kilns.  

Practical advice number one: make sure you keep the tank in your car full. You will not find a gas station on the main highway. In case you need to refuel, as we had to, a long detour to the service road in Greater Noida would be necessary. 

Practical advice number two: There's just one eating joint and public convenience hub on the highway till Khurja. 

The overall experience was very enthralling. The drive, shopping, and seeing the process of making pottery is a total package in itself. Looking forward to more such short and sweet trips!