Terracotta is known as poda maati in Bengal. This is thousand years old art which is found in various parts of India, but it is the integral part of Bengal’s culture. You will find artifacts made of terracotta in almost every house in Bengal. Today not only in Bengal but all over the world, terracotta articles have become an interesting option for the décor of any place. One can spot and buy terracotta articles from malls to villages. It has also become a popular option for tiles among interior decorators that are using it in different styles.

It has also made its place in the jewellery with the creative way it is used in junk jewellery. These days even micro proof utensils made of terracotta are available in the market. This art has definitely found its place from the outdoors to indoors, from the drawing room to kitchen. Terracotta is part of Hindu heritage which has been proved by archeologists by findings of remains of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa culture. The Bankura town of Bengal is world famous for its terracotta work. The beauty of temples of Vishnupur made of terracotta invites many tourists all over the world every year.

The Process
The main source of terracotta is mud. The mud is molded into different shapes and crafts and then it is kept over fire to strengthen the mud. And that is the reason why it is known as Poda in Bengal. It is very important to choose the right kind of mud and only that is not enough. The mud needs to be washed over and over again. Other important part of the process is the drying of the artifacts. The articles had been dried at the room temperature else cracks will appear in them. The third stage is putting them over fire and it is generally done at 875-925° Celsius.

Decoration
One can find terracotta tiles to lampshades in the market. Terracotta tiles look very elegant on the walls. Murals also look good if kept in odd places. The interior decorators are very much using the lampshades made of terracotta.  These days we talk a lot about saving the environment. We talk a lot about using the eco friendly things. Terracotta articles are definitely eco friendly. Terracotta has been part of our culture for thousands of years and using terracotta articles not only puts you in the ethnic category but you also do your bit for the environment as it comes in 100% eco friendly category. The restaurants too are following the trend of serving on banana leaf accompanied by terracotta utensils. The whole idea of culture, heritage intrigues you immediately. It gives you a feeling of being closed to nature. Besides being beautiful it is light on the pocket too. You can get terracotta articles at very reasonable range. The flower pots available in the market look amazing at the entrance door. Wind chimes made of terracotta also looks very good. Let the magic of mud engross you.