Rubina Potteries

Setting up Rubina Potteries in Ganpat Patil Chawl was a lot of work back then. We are right near the Eastern Express Highway in Vikhroli East, so the sound of trucks is something we have just grown used to over the years. Kannamwar Nagar No. 1 is a lively place to be, even if it gets a bit muddy when it rains. We spend most of our day working with clay and the wheel. My hands are almost always grey or brown from the earth we use. It is a messy job, but someone has to do it. We don't have any fancy showroom or air conditioning here. Most of the pots and vases are just stacked up against the walls where there is space. Sometimes people stop their cars on the highway and walk down the path to see what we are making. It is mostly just me and two other guys from the neighborhood working here. We have a small stove in the corner for making snacks when the afternoon gets slow. The heat from the kiln is quite something in the summer, making the whole shop feel like an oven. We just open the windows and hope for a breeze from the outside. We have been making these items for years now and the patterns haven't changed much because people like the old styles. It is honest work and it keeps us busy enough to stay out of trouble during the day.