Joining our artisan trip to Manamadurai

Twice a year, usually in February and August, we take a small group from Coimbatore to Manamadurai, the potters’ town near Madurai where our terracotta is made. Customers often ask what the trip involves, so here is a plain account.

We leave Coimbatore by minibus at 6 am on a Saturday and reach Manamadurai by about 1 pm, with a breakfast stop on the way. After lunch, we spend the afternoon with the family of Kannan, who makes our vases. You will see clay being dug and soaked, trodden by foot, and thrown on the wheel. Everyone gets a turn at the wheel. Most first pots collapse, which is part of the fun.

In the evening, if the weather is dry, we watch a firing. Pots are stacked in an open kiln, covered with straw and clay, and fired for several hours; the glow at dusk is the part most people remember. We stay overnight at a simple guesthouse in town. On Sunday morning we visit two other potters who make lamps and cooking pots, and you can buy directly from them at their price. We leave after lunch and are back in Coimbatore by about 8 pm.

The trip costs ₹6,500 a person, covering transport, meals, the night’s stay and a fee paid to each family for their time. Groups are kept to twelve. Wear cotton clothes you do not mind getting muddy, and bring a hat. Join our list at the shop to hear when booking opens.