Sun Dec 15 17:45:42 UTC 2024: ## Solar Power Revives Pottery Tradition in Karnataka Village
**Kundapura, Karnataka – December 16, 2024** – A solar-powered revolution is breathing new life into the traditional pottery industry in Aloor village, near Kundapura, Karnataka. Raghu Kulal, owner of Guruvandana Pottery Products, credits a 3kW off-grid solar system installed nine years ago with dramatically increasing his output and improving the quality of his terracotta products.
Kulal, who initially abandoned the family pottery business, returned after his father’s death and received training from The Concerned for Working Children (CWC). The solar system, provided by SELCO Solar Light Private Ltd., has automated key processes, including clay preparation using a pug mill and blunger. This has increased his daily production from 20 to 70 clay vessels.
“The solar unit not only boosted output but also improved product quality,” Kulal said. He employs his two sons and has inspired two others in the village to establish their own solar-powered pottery workshops.
SELCO has installed similar systems in 29 pottery units across Karnataka since 2015-16, significantly impacting productivity and income. The company highlights the technology’s role in preserving a heritage profession, preventing rural migration, and enhancing the dignity of labor. The solar-powered equipment addresses the challenges of manual labor, inconsistent power supply, and limited capacity of traditional pottery wheels. The initiative demonstrates how sustainable energy solutions can revitalize traditional crafts and improve livelihoods in rural communities.
First Piper 