The famed ‘terracotta’ products made from the special soil found in Bhathat area of Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur district has got the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
Subjects: It is a centuries-old traditional art form, where the potters make various animal figures like, horses, elephants, camel, goat, ox, etc. with hand-applied ornamentation.
Process: According to some artists, the clay used in the terracotta products is ‘Kabis’ clay which is found in the ponds of Aurangabad, Bharwalia and Budhadih areas. Also, such clay is found only in the months of May and June, as for the rest of the year, the ponds are filled with water.
Areas: The craftsmen are mainly spread over the villages of Aurangabad, Bharwalia, Langadi Gularia, Budhadih, Amawa, Ekla etc. in Bhathat and Padri Bazar, Belwa Raipur, Jungle Ekla No-1, Jungle Ekla No-2 in Chargawan block of Gorakhpur.
Terracotta was selected under the ‘One District One Product’ scheme of the Uttar Pradesh government
