Story Behind Earthen Clay Collection!

With the rising consensus amongst everyone at ExclusiveLane to reduce plastic waste, the design team was burdened with the responsibility to contribute to the betterment of Mother nature, and what follows is an anecdote from the founders’ visit to West Bengal.

Earthen Clay Stories - A Collection Encrypt 


I was climbing down the stairs of my office in New Delhi, India, when my phone started to ring and I was greeted by a long hello. It was Mr. Usman Siddiqi and he sounded excited. Little did I know that an urge to visit West Bengal would be intrigued in me by a ubiquitous potter, from the village of Hatkhola, just miles from the shore of Hooghly river. He said, “Sir I have a story that you would love to hear….”

Two Weeks Later - In Hatkhola, West Bengal

Mr. Siddiqui’s place of work, a small yet comfortable shack, where he and his family spend most of their time was a mile inside from the village periphery. A man with a lot of passion, vision, and gratitude, Mr. Shiddiqi greeted me and my partner with a small verse in Urdu that translates to - “What was yesterday will take a rebirth and come to unite with us in the tomorrow”.

“Waah Waah Janab”, went all his friends and forced him to recite another verse from his Journal. Soon after listening to his musical verses, we were greeted with hot, sizzling cup of tea, served in earthen cups, shaped and molded by Mr. Siddiqui himself. I asked if I could have a look at his journal and why this possession was so dear to him. Mr. Siddiqui says, “This is my Holy Book Sir, in which I write my verses, daily finances, and my life experiences”. He also insists that all his creation were first put to paper, in this same journal, and then molded into glasses, tumblers, jugs & much more. While his friends and family take turn to complete the job, he continues to draw and take notes in his journal.

Six Weeks Later - Amidst all the product launches at ExclusiveLane Office

Upon Reaching my desk, early in the morning, I was greeted by a brown envelope addressed to me. How can I forget this writing, when it was only a few weeks before that I had admired each and every word spoken by this same blue ink. It was a package from Mr. Siddiqi. I quickly opened the package to find Mr. Siddiqui's Journal inside, wrapped in a cotton thread.

A small note puts the voice of Mr. Siddiqui again in my heart and in my ears, “Sir, all I have is my Journal and it the dearest to me. I don’t have a lot of belongings and all that remains are memories, memories of clay and earth, intermingling and fusing with each other, the stories of Earthen Clay, and I lend this possession to a man who would love to share my story with the world”

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Signing Out
Dhruv & Kaushal Goyal
(20th June 2018)
The launch of Earthen Clay Stories

Written By 
Daksh Goyal