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The role of pots in Tamil society is immense

Pottery is an industry that has been going on in Tamil Nadu for a long time. Pottery was once used extensively in our kitchen. Clay cooking has a distinct taste. Even today in some restaurants getting popular due to earthenware cooking. The broken pottery found in the excavations in Tamil Nadu is mostly evidence of the antiquity of the Tamils.

Mud Pot is an excellent, water purifier. If water is kept in the clay pot for a few hours, the clay absorbs all the bad substances in the water and gives power to that water.  The clay pot is the poor man's refrigerator. Clay pot made from mixing clay and sand.

In the Ariyalur district, T. Pazhur, Cholamadevi village,  most of the workers are engaged in the production of earthenware. They have been involved in this business for almost a hundred years as clan industry. Although more than 50 families in the village are dependent on the industry, doing this business relentlessly in the midst of various difficulties overwhelms their confidence.


There are surprising us by saying that there are 69 types of pots used by our ancestors and mixed in their life. 

Few are mentioned below:

Surprise overwhelms us when we come to hear that pots have also been used to bury humans.

The large pot made for burying the body is called a Savappanai. It is also known as Emathazhi. The lower base part is made up by fingers with the help of a wheel and the upper half by hand. The age of Adicha Nallur elders emathazhi was around 800 - 900 BC.

Mudhumakkal Thazhi has other names like Eemapezhai, Madamadakka Panai, and EemathazhiMudhumakkal Thazhi has been found in Tamil Nadu in various sizes ranging from half a foot to seven feet. Archaeological excavations have revealed that this method was widely followed in the riverside of Tamil Nadu. There are three methods followed by the Tamils ​​regarding the Mudhumakkal Thazhi. In the first method, the pot will be larger in size. The dead body will sit with cross folder legs and the pot will be made according to the shape of the body. Then the pot will be buried. The second method is to lay the body in the open ground for a few days after death and bury only the remaining in small pottery after animals and birds eat. The third method is to burn the body after death and bury only the remaining ashes in a small pot.


A row of pots stacked one on top of the other in an upright or inverted manner. The row of seven pots stacked during the wedding function is called Adukkuppanai.


The auspicious pot placed on the side of the royal pedestal that is planted on the wedding stage is called the Arasani Panai


The pot used to store the grain is called the Akkappanai.

The pot that looks like a big mouth and the base shrinks is called an Akkuppanai

The pot used to make rice is the Adisirppanai.


The thick pot that makes sounds well if you tap is called the Ormappanai.

The pot that is built on the side of the float to set up the float is called the Kattuppanai.

The pot is made specifically for use in wedding houses or in monasteries or temple kitchens js called Madaikalappanai.

A neckless pot is called a Mottaippanai.

If the pot has four legs, it is a Naarkal panai.


The hollow pot is called the Thonnaippanai.

If the pot has a heavy edge, it is a Sonduppanai.

The smallest pot in size is called the Silluppanai.

Other pots are

Usumbiyappanai - The tallest pot.

Urippanai - A pot suitable for keeping in Uri(Uri mean the hanger that holds pot, usually milk, curd, and stored in hanger)

Egguppanai - A pot used to melt iron.

Ezhuthuppanai - A pot with letters drawn on it.

Ezhuppuppanai - Tall pot.

Oruvayappanai - Edge deformed pot.

Odhappanai - Moist pot.

Orippanai - Individual pot, lean pot.

Oviyappanai - Painted pot.

Kanjippanai - A wide-mouthed pot used to strain cooked rice.

Kattappanai - The bottom is not bent pot.

Kadhippanai - A pot used to store fresh rice husks and grains.

Karahappanai - The pot used to store little water. This is what is traditionally used while karakattam dance.

Karippanai- Charcoal applied pot.

Karuppuppanai - Fully blackened pot.

Karuppu Sivappu panai - A pot with black inside and red outside.

Kalasappanai - A small pot that is used in temple towers to store water or seed rice.

Kazhuneerpanai - A pot used to pour washed water over dishes such as rice.

Kadippanai - Same like kazhuneerppanai.

Kadhuppanai - A pot that is made by holding the edge.

Kunduppanai - A pot that appears in a round shape.

Kuraipanai - bottomless pot.

Koodaipanai - A pot made in the shape of a basket.

Koormunaipanai - A pot made to have a spike at the base.

Koorpanai - sharp tip pot.

Koozhpanai - A pot used to make porridge.

Koalapanai - Rolling pot.

Sarvapanai; The bottom is a pot that is formed by sloping and shrinking.

Savalaipanai - Not well-heated pot, thin pot.

Sannappanai - thin pot, lightweight pot.

Sambalpanai - Handmade pot.

Chinaapanai - small pot.

Thavalaipanai - A small type of pot to help store water.

Thidamapanai - Large pot.

Thimmapanai - bulky pot.

Tuntipanai - A pot whose base is very round and convex like a belly organ.

Thoranapanai- A pot cut in the shape of a pole around the neck.

Tholpanai - A pot designed to be used for hanging on the shoulder (wall).

Pachaipanai - unbaked pot.

Padarapanai - wide; Large pot.

Pinapanai - Eemathazhi.

Pollarpanai - Perforated pot.

Pongalpanai - A pot for the Pongal festival.

Mangalapanai - A pot that is placed in the wedding hall.

Mindapanai - large pot.

Miraipanai - bent high pot.

Muganthezhupanai - mounting pot.

Mudalaipanai - round-shaped pot.

Muragupanai - Rolled pot.

Mongampanai - Great pot (very big pot).

Vadineerpanai - A vessel set up to filter water.

Vazhaipanai - Smooth new pot

Vellavipanai - A pot used to boil dirty clothes by cloth cleaners

These pot names are amazing to us. What pots do you have in your home? Put it in the comment section.

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