West Bengal, one of the eastern states of India is known for its handiworks of which pottery is one of the most popular one. In West Bengal, the small-scale industry of pottery is carried on in the districts of Bankura, Murshidabad and Midnapore. Generally the women folk of the villages are involved with this industry. Sometimes men too engage themselves in making pottery.
There are a number of varieties of the pottery of West Bengal. They are made from clay and found in different sizes and shapes. Pottery is one of the indigenous artifacts that are prevalent in West Bengal from the ancient times. The pottery is also used for various purposes.
Mangalghats are earthen vases that are generally painted and colored by the potters of the village of West Bengal. They are considered to be an essential object in the diligent Hindu homes of West Bengal. This type of pottery is also used in different household functions like marriage ceremonies, in birth rituals and during the auspicious rituals of initiation.
The Lakshmi Ghat or vases generally comes in auspicious pairs. One of the ghat of the pair is meant for Lakshmi or the goddess of wealth and the other one for Lord Ganesh. Lakshmi Ghat is used during the worship of the goddess of wealth, also known as Lakshmi in West Bengal. This type of vase is considered very auspicious among all other pottery of West Bengal.
The Manasha Ghats come in different sizes. These are earthenwares that are painted to pay homage to the serpent goddess. The drawings are mainly done on upturned earthen jars. Along with drawing the face of the goddess, the hoods of snake are also drawn on the ghats.
Tulsimancha is made from earth and sometimes it is also built of bricks. This kind of pottery has various motifs of gods and goddesses especially of Krishna and Radha.
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