Kulhad/Kulhar painting for chai lovers.
Hello all welcome back to Smruti’s Art corner. Hope you all are doing well! Might be sipping hot tea and reading my article . Drinking hot tea served in kulhad is every Indian’s favorite. Indian starts their day right from the refreshing morning chai to delightful desi food.
Here I came with very creative and beautiful idea for chai (tea) lover. Chai lover does not need any special occasion or reason to have a cup of tea; they just shows their love and affection towards chai by drinking it any time. Many of you are drinking tea in ceramic mug, steel glass, or paper cups. But have you ever tried kulhad tea?
I will describe you why you should try kulhad wali chai. The first and most appealing reason to try kulhad wali chai is its “earthy aroma”. Yes it has a fragrance of earthy mud as they are made up from earthy mud and it reminds me that earthy smell when rain hits the ground.
“Chai in a kulhad added more flavors to the book of memories.”
The second reason is Kulhads have gradually given way to polystyrene and coated paper cups, because the latter are lighter to carry in bulk and cheaper.
“Chai in a kulhad tastes way tastier than Expensive cups.”
Third reason is they are eco friendly. Kulhads are said to be biodegradable. They are made using mud, and ultimately find their way back into the soil. curd, hot milk with sugar and some regional desserts, such as kulfi also served in kulhads as well.
“Meri mitti ki khushbu wali chai”.
Kulhads are made by shaping wet clay into small vessels and then firing these in coal-based kilns to make the vessels tough and water-resistant.
The traditional Kulhads not only provide a rich earthiness to the chai but also serve as a hygienic and biodegradable substitute to plastic as well as glass tumblers. It is the earthy feel and fragrance which allows one to truly enjoy a hot cup of comforting tea in a totally exceptional and rustic way.
Usually Kulhads are not painted but we can paint kulhads as per our choice and make them more beautiful. In this tutorial I have shown you how we can paint kulhad. Many of you will have a question, “Can we wash kulhad after coloring? “ Yes we can wash!! And enjoy drinking tea in it many times. Let’s see how to paint kulhad and seal the color.
Before starting any art and craft we need to grab all the supplies and make it ready. Let’s take a look what material I have used. Of course we need kulhad but along with it we need acrylic colors, brush and varnish. Kulhad are now available in any crockery shops, supermarket or the best way to buy kulhads online. If you ask me from where I brought kulhads, honestly I have just collected them after drinking delicious tandoori chai from tandoori chai stall which is near to my house. I love to go there because I like the way the tandoor chai is made, the chai person puts the empty kulhads in the tandoor (Indian clay oven) to roast them and then he severs the half cooked tea into the sizzling kulhads.
So let’s take a look what material I have used.
Material list:
– Kulhad
– Paint (Chalk paint or acrylic colors)
– Varnish
Let’s start-
Step 1:
The first step is to wash the kulhads before you start painting it. When we buy any terracotta pots or the things that are made from earthy mud like diyas or kulhads, need to be clean properly. Soak the kulhads in Luke warm water for one hour because they absorb water. Clean them with dry cloth. And they are ready to use.
Now the important part is to choose colors to paint them. Acrylic colors are the best choice to paint the kuhads. Water colors and poster colors wash away easily so I will not recommend using them. I had acrylic colors but have used chalk paint to paint the kulhads because it dries easily. You can use acrylic paints instead of chalk paint.
Step 2:
Color choice varies from person to person. I love vibrant colors for kulhads. They look attractive in multicolored. Choose colors as per your choice. Make beautiful designs on it. Use thin brush to draw designs. You can draw warli art, mandala art or any other design. Dot painting is also good choice to make them more beautiful. Get your supplies ready and make them beautiful. I chose blue and parrot green color combination to paint them. I have painted simple designs because the kulhads are very small. Once you finish decorating them, let them dry properly.
Step 3:
Many of you will have a question, “Can we wash kulhad after coloring? Because we don’t want our efforts go waste. “Yes we can wash!! And enjoy drinking tea in it many times.
Once your kulhads dries after coloring, apply varnish over it to seal the color. No need to be worry if you don’t have varnish. You can apply mixture of water and fevicol over it. Apply 2 to 3 layers of fevicol and water mixture over it and let t dry properly. Now your kulhads are washable.
When life gets cold and gloomy, make a cup of kulhad tea. The warmth of the hot cup in your cold hands is the comfort you need. Tea in those plastic cups or even the glasses never tastes the same as one in kulhad Chai from a clay cup; that taste and smell of earth, mixed with sweet milky tea, yes that is the taste of India!!
Everything, from deep political discussions to neighborly chitchat happens over a cup of tea, this shows how chai transcends all the margins. It has always been an essential part of Indian households. And it would come as no surprise to you that Indians love how a Kulhad imparts an earthy aroma to their beloved beverage, tea. I know Chai lovers who are reading my article now will be definitely going to try this. I hope this tutorial will help you in painting kulhads. Thank you! Enjoy your hot sip in kulhad. Stay connected. Don’t forget to send me your reviews.
“So, treasure a tradition with fancy kulhad cups and enjoy the sip of hot authentic chai while relishing the earthy aroma of the earthen pot.”
For complete video tutorial click here
