Madurai

Ahead of Pongal, the potters of Madurai say intermittent rainfall has severely affected the process of making earthen pots due to which they are unable to meet the market demand.

Potters say that over the past few years, many people have given up the pottery industry and gone into alternative industries without adequate income.

Only a few families continue to engage in the pottery business amidst various difficulties without the mind to give up the clan business. "We couldn't take soil from ponds in time as they were brimming with water.

It delayed the process of making pots and now we are unable to meet the demand," a potter said. Pongal is a four-day harvest festival dedicated to the Sun God.

To mark the festival, the Pongal sweet dish is prepared and is first offered to the Gods and Goddesses followed, sometimes, with an offering to cows. It is then shared with the family.