Stoneware...from the attic of South Indian homes

Vanishing vessels, dying craftsmanship

The "chetti", "dosaikal" & "kuzhipaniyaram kal" , all made of stone

Some food items don't taste right unless they are made in the kind of utensils they are meant to be cooked in. Not just in terms of shape--eg an idli that is square and flat may be a novelty, but to be considered idli? A bit difficult to stomach, figuratively, even if you have to compliment the person who has taken the pains to "reinvent". Same holds good for the "fried idli", or "Schezwan dosai".

But to taste right, some items are made, necessarily, in cast iron girdles or frying pans. Or borosil glassware.

In South India, rich in rocks and minerals, deep pots and utensils were made of soapstone, and occasionally, granite.Yet, the hard and hardy granite. As they carved idols that went into temples, and figures and figurines by way of art, and toys by way of craft, the sculptors of Tamilnadu, Karnatka,and Andhra, also made utility items like those in the opening photograph.

Spinach, pickles or certain gravy dishes are said to taste right only when made in the "maakkal chetti". And "adai" made on a granite stone is probably what made the lentil-pancake better known as "Kal adai".

As much as they labored to make them, women in homes labored to cure and season them, to the extent that they automatically became "non-stick". 

They were hard bottomed in any case. But unlike the hard bottomed non-stick stuff that flood the stores these days, these stoneware are also part of the environment, and totally ecofriendly. 

And they are sustainable. Perhaps they came way before the deities and toys, for when early man discovered fire, he must have invented these to cook in !

Cured, ready to go on the gas top,grill or oven

Kuzhipaniyaram stone made of a single block of raw  granite

They are hard to come by these days. I was lucky to find these at quaint little stores in Chennai earlier this month.

Whether or not I am able to cure and season them, I know I will use them only very, very occasionally..just as some women would take out precious jewelry from the bank lockers for special events.




I would worry that they may break. I may even treat them as art or antique to be displayed. Or I may use them ....in whatever way I find aesthetic.

The Dosai kal

This is how it looks naturally!

Whatever I do with them, there is the satisfaction of contributing to a dying art and craft tradition.

One hopes the government or some enterprising people step in to ensure these stoneware don't become museum pieces.

Just the way the Jaipuri razai(quilt) weighing 100 to 150 grams.. was revived  just because then prime minister Indira Gandhi took an interest in the craft.