Nirvana Clay Crafts pottery studio

Our story

Born from earth, shaped by hands

Nirvana Clay Crafts was founded on a simple belief — that the most beautiful things are made slowly, with care, from the earth beneath our feet.

Artisan hands shaping clay on a potter's wheel

Back to our roots

We started Nirvana Clay Crafts in 2018 in the lanes of Kumharpada, Dharavi — one of Mumbai's oldest potters' quarters. What began as a small workshop has grown into a collective of 14 artisans, each carrying forward a craft tradition that stretches back generations.

Our pieces are wheel-thrown and hand-built using natural red clay sourced from the banks of the Narmada river. No synthetic glazes, no industrial shortcuts. Every pot, tawa, and diya is fired in a wood-burning kiln, giving each piece its own character — a slight variation in tone, a gentle thumbprint in the clay.

We believe that bringing handmade clay into your home is an act of remembering. Remembering slower rhythms, older wisdom, and the quiet dignity of things made by human hands.

What we stand for

Natural materials only

We use unglazed, food-safe natural clay. No synthetic coatings, no chemical dyes — just earth, water, and fire.

Fair wages, always

Every artisan in our collective earns above the local market rate. Craft should sustain the people who practise it.

Zero-waste kiln

Our wood-fired kilns run on agricultural waste and reclaimed timber. Clay offcuts are recycled back into the wedging process.

Plastic-free packaging

Orders ship in recycled newspaper, jute rope, and corrugated cardboard. No bubble wrap, no styrofoam.

The hands behind the craft

Our collective is built on the knowledge of master potters who have spent decades at the wheel.

Ramesh Prajapati
30 years experience

Ramesh Prajapati

Master Potter & Founder

Ramesh learned to throw clay at age nine from his father. He has spent 30 years perfecting the Narmada clay body and is the creative anchor of the collective.

Sunita Devi
18 years experience

Sunita Devi

Hand-building Specialist

Sunita specialises in coil-built forms — our terracotta planters and wall plates are entirely her domain. She joined the collective in 2019 and has trained six apprentices.

Arjun Kumhar
22 years experience

Arjun Kumhar

Kiln Master

Arjun manages every firing cycle. Reading a wood-fired kiln is an art in itself — he knows by the colour of the flame and the smell of the smoke exactly when to seal the chamber.

Bring the earth home

Every piece ships directly from our studio in Dharavi. Handmade, unhurried, and made to last.

Shop the collection