Rajasthan, India

Kumbharwada in Dharavi is an establishment of potters almost 100 years old. It is the largest community of potters in Mumbai. They are originally from Saurashtra, Gujarat. Khumbars means potter and Wada means colony. Hence the name Kumbharwada – the colony of potters. It occupies 22 acres of land that houses around 1400-1500 families, 700–800 of whom still practice pottery today. All the pottery making work is conducted in the morning before starting up the kilns every afternoon. While most potters still use the Bhattis (traditional kilns), some families have started developing their own gas kilns to avoid pollution and to have better control of the temperatures. The potters live and work in the same area, making it a really close society.