Kerala, 2011: A group of indigenous people called the Kumbharas, who live in a little hamlet called Aruvakode in Nilambur, are said to have migrated to these parts during the reign of Tipu Sultan. They are artisans by trade, men who make their crafts with sand and clay. Their way of life is ancient, one that has existed over millenniums.
Many years passed since the time when these people were regularly called upon because of their specialized skill-set. And today, over time the craft itself is slowly dying. There is no room for their way of life in today’s accelerated modern society. There is no reason to work now and these artisans are now giving up the trade of their forefathers. Many of them take up cheap labor jobs for the purpose of having money to buy toddy or other cheap liquor & simply pass on life.
The Kumbharas, who in ancient days were prominent in the royal households and temples are now plighted to live in poverty and perhaps even forced to. These people who were close to the nature through their peaceful ways of living and working, are now faced with extinction.
This is a story of good and evil. And it will be worth your while.
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