His Divine Feat of Clay
In back-of-beyond Molela, an hour's drive from Udaipur in Rajasthan, master potter Jamnalal Kumhar sits outside his modest home crafting clay figures. Votive panels of gods and goddesses, as well as figures of horses and other animals, are lined up against the walls in his courtyard. What sets this village's pottery apart is its deep spiritual significance—its clay figures are crafted for worship and are commissioned by communities that believe these sacred images will protect their villages. The 58-year-old soft-spoken man offers kulhads of freshly brewed chai to the visitors. Over the past 30 years, he has emerged as the face of Molela pottery, having participated in a number of exhibitions in India and abroad, such as the Kalagram Crafts Fair, the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, the Academy of Fine Arts, Prague, and the Frida Steinburger Exhibition, Israel.
For 16 generations, Jamnalal's family has crafted these sacred figures. 'There was never a formal process of learning. As children, we simply helped our parents—shaping clay, firing kilns, or collecting raw materials. It was a way of life,' he smiles.
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