Look around you today, what do you see? Earthquakes, crumbling hills, forest fires, melting glaciers, and polluted water bodies. The environment has taken a beating from man and his tendency to want more than required, more than on offer, more than what he has been given by nature, by right. Now, retribution has come to roost.
Man can pride himself on fantastic technological progress, magnificent infrastructure growth, and scientific excellence. Yet, be it corona or environmental degradation, his life and limb, and indeed his planet is in real and present danger because of his transgressions. So where do we go from here? We bow down our heads to Mother Earth, seek her forgiveness, and promise to go back to our roots and reinvent our lifestyle to correct the damage as best we can.
We grab a handful of the earth as we take the pledge, look at the clay sticking to our palms, and realize that our new starting point is right there under our feet. Earthenware was the prime raw material of entire civilizations at one time. Terracotta material and culture were prevalent in India from as far as memory serves. Eco-friendly clay has been used in India for centuries. Tools, cookery, pottery, housing, and almost everything were sourced from clay. Clay be it raw or baked, as in terracotta. Terracotta material, which is eco-friendly clay or is clay biodegradable is the best material to build a new lifestyle around.
Many may ask, “What is terracotta made of? Is terracotta clay eco-friendly? Is clay biodegradable in the first place?”
The answer to all those is an emphatic “Yes”. Do you know that terracotta art is one of the most preferred art forms in India? It has a long history and we can see the terracotta art forms adorning several temples and the adjacent structures of the ancient period. Archaeological excavations at Paharpur and Mahasthangarh in Bengal provide sufficient proof that terracotta tiles were used to embellish temple facades. This artwork was sustained long before the advent of Sultans to India.
Hence, coming back to the present, it is safe to say, that if each one of us gradually switches to terracotta vessels, cookery, serving ware, and even lighting or divinity idols, to begin with as against products that are pollutants or environmentally damaging, we will have taken a small step in reversing the very causes of environmental backlash.
Terracotta is traditionally considered a mystical clay form due to its combination of four of the five vital elements – air, earth, fire, and water. Utensils, decorative pieces, tiles, lampshades, idols, terracotta cookware, and terracotta serveware are all easily available and handy alternatives that almost anyone can procure at the click of a mouse. Tranceterra is a site that offers all that and more with an easy home delivery option making your transition an armchair effort, tension free, and comfortable. Choose from designs, shapes, and sizes that best suit you and your environment and get them all.
We all know that plastic is harmful and toxic and it is one of the prime causes of environmental decline and climate change. A trip around the World Wide Web will bring you scary pics and videos of just how deadly plastic is to human life, animal life, and even marine life today. Plastic ware has flooded the globe today, and it is a threat to the planet, and because it is not bio-degradable disposal is a huge problem. The conversion of a plastic lifestyle to a terracotta lifestyle would be a huge step in arresting the decline. And who is best to do that? Not the government, not your neighbour, but YOU.
Terracotta material products like terracotta water jugs or terracotta vessels are organic, unlike plastic that most people use in microwave cooking and heating not realizing that plastic releases harmful toxins when heated which are invisible but hugely harmful. How many know that popular Bengali dishes like sweetened curd and mishti doi are generally made in terracotta clay vessels?
It is a no-brainer that food cooked in terracotta material will taste better as compared to food being prepared/stored in stainless steel, iron, or aluminum cookware/serve ware. The food value of what you plan to eat is retained in the best condition when you cook in earthen vessels like in the old grandmother’s days. Even the water you drink from a terracotta jug or bottle will retain an earthy cool temperature and add to its rich taste. It is far healthier than artificially cooled refrigerated water or water stored in plastic containers.
Indian artisans have been creating glazed pottery for thousands of years in India. The artisans imagine a design or art form and bring it to life in terracotta clay. These talented artisans contributed a lot to creating and preserving terracotta Art by transforming skills and passing them down from one generation to the next. Today, Indian artisans are making the Terracotta items like statues, Diwali oil lamps, murals, and decorative hanging bells. There isn’t a village in India without Terracotta artisans. It is now up to each one of us to repay these artists and creators of ethnic marvels by going in for terracotta products in our everyday life-starting now.
Now that you know what terracotta is made of and how eco-friendly clay products are, we’d like to know when you are taking the plunge to make this eco-friendly change in your lifestyle.
