This research project is about the history of seasonal migration of the Newar potters in Bhaktapur and Thimi to the Tarai and to the Mountains in Nepal. Till recently, these potters carried with them a shoulder-load of household utensils, travelled on foot to the different settlements, sold the pots, and, if feasible, made them on the spot and fulfilled the local demand and then moved to a different place.
The Newar potters are, by and large, agriculturists. Their knowledge on techniques and materials of pottery-making is highly specialised. Their craft is well-embedded in the local urban socio-economic relations. Nevertheless, the seasonal travel (gaamay vaanegu ‘to go to the village’ ~ taaplan vaanegu ‘ to go far’) also has a long past. The pattern and rules regarding the annual visit is well developed: little short of the jajmani system but far more routinised than a search of an individual potter for better commercial prospects for his goods. Till 1960s, Thimi saw such migration en masse. The custom, however, is in decline.
This project will reconstruct the potters’ itinerary for the period c. 1930s – 1960s through their reminiscences and documentary evidence. The aim of this project is to use the potters’ itinerant behaviour to engage with three key issues. The first is about the political, social and cultural aspects of the milieu in which such behaviour assumes the form of a periodic economic activity. The second is related to the contribution these journeys made in the circulation of labour, commodities and technical ideas in the study period. The third question this project will attempt to answer is whether the case of the Newar potters can shed critical light on more recent attempts of the Nepal Government and of several development agencies to help improve the lives and livelihood in rural Nepal by technology transfer and dissemination.
The research undertaken in the one-year period, starting from November 1, 2011, will result into a book and a public lecture by the end of the tenure.
Martin Chautari (MC) began as an informal discussion group in Kathmandu in 1991, allowing development professionals and academics to meet every two weeks to share insights and experiences. Now nationally known for its discussions, Chautari also conducts research focused on governance and democracy, media, education and livelihoods with cross-cutting themes of gender and social inclusion. A rigorous mentoring program of young researchers is in-built into MC’s work. The discussions, research, mentoring, publications and the library form an intrinsic part of MC’s primary objective: strengthening the social contract between state and citizens and expanding and making inclusive the public sphere by promoting informed dialogues and analytically rigorous research.
Briefing Paper No. 8: The Debilitating Dynamics of Nepal's Constituent Assembly (2008-2012) (English ver./Nepali ver.)
SINHAS provides an interdisciplinary forum for original Nepal related research. Read more>>
Media Adhyayan is an annual Nepali language journal dedicated to media studies. Read more>>
Discourses of Awareness: Development, Social Movements and the Practices of Freedom in Nepal;
The Creation of Public Meaning during Nepal’s Democratic Transition’ is a collaborative research project between the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London and Martin Chautari (MC), Kathmandu. The project is jointly coordinated by Prof. Michael Hutt of SOAS and Dr Pratyoush Onta of MC and is being funded by the British Academy under its International Partnership Scheme for the period March 2010 to March 2013. Read more
Martin Chautari organizes discussions thrice a week.
The library is open to all from Sunday to Friday, 10:30 am to 5:00 pm except for a half-hour tea break between 2:00pm and 2:30pm when the circulation desk will be closed. Read more>>>