Ordering handmade pottery for Deepavali gifts

Every October, many of our orders are Deepavali gifts: a pair of mugs for a colleague, a set of bowls for a new home, a dozen stacking cups for the family. Handmade pottery makes a lovely gift, but it cannot be rushed, and the timing catches people out every year.

We fire the kiln every second Friday, so stock arrives in batches about two weeks apart. The last two firings before Deepavali usually sell out within a few days. If you want a particular glaze, such as lagoon blue or the dotted tumblers, join our list and order on the day the kiln opens. For this year, our last firing before the festival is three weeks before Deepavali, and orders placed in the week after it still reach most cities in time.

For larger gift orders, from 24 pieces, we make them to order. Allow six to eight weeks, which means placing the order by late August or early September. We can add a printed card with your message, and gift boxes cost ₹120 each.

Packing is where we take the most care in festival weeks. Every piece is wrapped in paper, then in coir, and placed in a double-walled carton with at least 5 cm of padding on every side. Couriers are at their busiest before Deepavali, so we add two days to our usual four to seven-day estimate. Breakage in transit is covered: send a photo within 48 hours and we replace the piece or refund you. In Puducherry, you can also collect gifts from the studio, wrapped and ready.