Ram Milan comes from a family of potters in Chitrakoot district. As the first post-covid Diwali nears, his family is rushing to get diyas and lamps into the market. The process starts with the sourcing of the soil and clay. Earlier, potters could get soil from fields and small mounds, but now, soil is a commodity they have to purchase. A tractor full of soil could cost them around Rs1500, with which they can make upto 2000 pots.

The soil is first dried and carefully sifted through. Then it is soaked overnight and in the morning, Ram Milan uses his hands and feet to roll and fold the soil into clay. The clay is now ready to be centred on the potter's wheel. This is back-breaking work. For an expert like Ram Milan, it takes five minutes to shape a single pot. In one day, he makes around 200 pots.

Pottery is a disappearing trade. For the 12,000 odd potters of the district, eking out a living has become challenging. The demand for earthen pots has dwindled and costs have only risen. Covid and subsequent lockdowns have made matters worse for the community. Kallu Prajapati, a 60-year-old potter, has tears in his eyes when he talks about the pandemic ruining his business. With no regular MNREGA work, potter families are living on government rations, which often fall short.

The chaak or potter's wheel is handled by the men, but women's work is just as labour intensive. Women work from dawn until late afternoon, after which they do the housework. They prepare the clay, dry, bake and shape the pots and then once painted, women carry them to bazars. As Diwali is around the corner, Sunita, Suraiya, Badami and other women also worry whether their children will have something to celebrate or not.

Twelve-year-old Hemant is in Class 6. In his free time, he helps out father Ram Milan by taking a turn on the potter's wheel. He finds it easy to make pots, but he is yet to master more intricate earthenware. Like other young people from these communities, Hemant also wants to move out of this occupation.