Molela and Nathdwara

Say hello to one of my new favorite places —-  Molela!

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In early February, my husband Stan and I were invited by artist and professor Gagan Dadich to stay and to work in his beautiful studio in the tiny village of Molela.  Located in the state of Rajasthan, Molela is famous for a unique style of ceramics, particularly for its charming narrative plaques and murals.  A few examples of the work:

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There are about 40 families in Molela producing terracotta sculpture.  Only a few families are producing pottery.   Each workshop has many works lined up outside to entice shoppers inside.  Tour buses stop here occasionally to shop and then continue on their journey. Just a few people like us stick around for a little while to get to know the place.

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DSC_0931We spent a lot of time with one sculptor in particular, Shyam Lal.  This is his storefront, followed by several images of his works.  He had just finished a huge work segment and had many works ready for the beginning of what he called the buying season, meaning that over the next few weeks those tours buses that I mentioned before would be coming through en masse. Now he was enjoying his vacation time, which he generously shared with us.

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Shyam Lal Kumhar of Mangalam Terracotta Art

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Sculptures by Mangalam Terracotta Art

DSC_0908The forms are made using a combination of slabs and pinching. As many areas as possible are left open to encourage air circulation; examples in this piece are the crown and underneath the body of the horse.  The finer details are made by impressing with tools, or by adding small pieces of clay.  Cutting or carving into the clay would be difficult with the heavily fibrous consistency of the clay body.

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A beautiful mural installed in front of Shyam’s Mangalam Terracotta Art workshop

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Gagan’s studio is wonderful. New designs are painted once a year on the clay-dung walls, and the studio is brimming with works that he has made and collected.

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Experimenting with Molela Clay

DSC_0026 We experimented with the Molela clay, which contains at least one third donkey dung in the clay body.  The donkey dung has an incredible amount of fiber in it, which gives the clay body not only the strength for making large plaques and tiles, but also for the extremely quick firings.  We were told that some firings are often finished in as little as three hours!

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Shankaraba (Shankar Lal Kumhar) is one of the few potters in Molela making exclusively functional ware.  We happened upon him as he and his family were loading his kiln.  (I wish that Santa Cruz city ordinances would allow me to put a kiln like this in my front yard.)DSC_1117
Before we left Molela for Nathdwara, we met another family loading their kiln, this time with sculptures, tiles and plaques, Jamnalal and Bharathi Kumhar of Kalptaru Terracotta Art Center.   We joined in to help carry out the work for loading, and enjoyed the camaraderie that is universal when it comes to clay.

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This is part of Jaminlal and Bharathi’s showroom.  Very hard to choose from all the great pieces there!

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Nathdwara has a fantastic night market, nearby the Shrinathji Temple.  The lane leading up to the temple gate had shops with wonderful looking sweets.  We were shocked by the size of the ladoos — about the size of a softball and nearly ten times larger than the ones at the shops in Kolkata.  We bought one, and took two days to finish eating it!

The next morning I gave a lecture at  S.M.B. Government Post Graduate College in Nathdwara, where Gagan is a Professor of Art.  After my presentation I had the pleasure to spend time with his students and to learn about their interests and art processes.

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Back in Kolkata, Stan and I agreed that of all of the great memories that we brought back from this trip to Rajasthan, visiting Molela and Nathdwara is at the top of our list.

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Jamnalal’s work, freshly made

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Comments (7)

  • Neharika Mathur Sinha

    March 4, 2015 at 3:55 pm

    Hi, We would like to use your photographs of terra-cotta in Molela for publication in a magazine. Please get in touch urgently at the email address provided. Thanks! Neharika

    1. Cynthia

      March 5, 2015 at 2:23 pm

      Hi Neharika,
      I’ll respond to your email address. Thanks for your interest in my blog and photographs!

  • Sandy Kinzie

    March 4, 2015 at 9:26 pm

    Cynthia, I just in less than an hour flashed through your whole blog and hope I have some time to do it justice. The images were wonderful. What an unforgettable rich experience you’re having. It must have been wonderful to have Stan there to share the studio times. We’re settled in Asheville and hopefully will get to clay before the year is out. After freezing for weeks, it’s 70 today. Nothing like new experiences. I hope I can check in again soon after I finish the taxes! Hugs, us

    1. Cynthia

      March 5, 2015 at 2:22 pm

      Hi Sandy,

      Well now we will have a reason to visit Asheville! Santa Cruz will certainly not be the same without you.

      Thanks for skimming the blog. I’ll be putting up several more posts in the next few weeks, ones that I’ve had simmering on the stove for a while, so they’ll be more for you to peruse next time. It’s hard to believe that in a little more than three weeks I’ll be home and in the decompression stage from this grand adventure.

      Giant Hug to you and Bob,
      Cynthia

  • Liz Crain

    March 11, 2015 at 11:30 am

    Thank you Cynthia for sharing your adventures. They are beyond anything I could have imagined – and I am wondering if it is the same for you. What a grand new world you have opened up. I can’t wait until you return and begin to share it all with talks and teachings and new projects. Looking forward to the next culminating posts and to your return. LIz

    1. Cynthia

      March 11, 2015 at 11:34 pm

      Liz,
      I’ll be home in less than three weeks!!!
      Yes, this whole experience is beyond what I imagined as well.
      Can’t wait to see you – there is so much to share.

  • Isha

    August 31, 2017 at 10:45 am

    Hi Cynthia,
    Your blog on Molela art is great insight into the art.
    Though originally from Udaipur (Rajasthan); i never got a chance to learn the art.
    With too many years in corporate world , i have now started learning different forms of art. And during my visit to Udaipur (7th Oct – 20th Oct); i would love to learn teracotta art.
    It would be very kind of you if you can connect me to Professor Gagan Dadich or anyone who teaches this art in Rajasthan?

    Thanks,
    Isha

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