Andretta Pottery

Wonderful little studio in a village — and a nice café tucked into the corner. Great atmosphere to do assorted clay work, and a nice shop for pottery ware. I hope to return to do a class.

Andretta Pottery in Palampur is a unique and charming place that offers a memorable experience. Located amidst the serene beauty of the Himalayan foothills, this pottery studio is a hidden gem.

The pottery studio is run by skilled artisans who have a deep passion for their craft. We had the chance to watch them at work, and it was a fascinating experience. The pottery they create is not only beautiful but also functional, making for great souvenirs or gifts.

The ambiance at Andretta Pottery is rustic and calming, perfectly in tune with the natural surroundings. The studio is nestled in a tranquil garden, providing a sense of peace and inspiration. It's an ideal place for anyone interested in art and ceramics.

The staff is welcoming and eager to share their knowledge about pottery. They offer pottery classes for those who want to try their hand at this art form, which is a fantastic way to spend a few hours.

Andretta Pottery also has a small shop where you can purchase the pottery items they create. From mugs to plates and decorative pieces, their collection is diverse and reasonably priced. Andretta Pottery is a must-visit in Palampur. It's a place to appreciate art, connect with nature, and take home beautiful, handcrafted pottery. It's a serene and artistic escape in the lap of the Himalayas.

It was a great pleasure to see such artwork, these days these clay figures are getting extinct in our country.

You can come here and learn to make clay figures.

It's a very relaxing place!

7 KM drive from Palampur.

One of the most beautiful experience in Himachal. The sessions are a delight for the one's doing and also for the one's just watching them. The kids also enjoy playing with the clay. The things displayed in the showroom are all handmade and irresistibly graceful. The place is worth visiting more than just once!!!

Andretta Pottery is a hidden gem nestled in the serene hills of Himachal Pradesh, India. From functional pieces to decorative items, Andretta Pottery blends tradition with innovation, creating timeless treasures for any home. It was a pleasure for me and my family to visit the beautiful studio and experience real time session as well.

Beautiful place but very expensive clay productMANSIMRAN SINGH

Mansimran Singh, fondly known as ‘mini’ is Gurucharan Singh ji’s  son. He studied pottery with his father,and then joined him in the business of pottery making. He went to UK and when he returned to Delhi he met his future wife Mary, who was his student. Later, they moved together to Andretta Village in Himachal Pradesh where they started the Andretta Pottery & Crafts Society with the help of Central Gov funding.They were keen to help local potters and promote their traditional work through exhibitions in various cities.This was also funded by Central Gov. They established the Andretta Pottery and Craft Society in 1983, with a view to promoting and preserving the rich but dying crafts of the region. Minis wife Mary involved herself with local women creating a group funded by OXFAM in which women learnt vegetable dyeing, knitting, weaving and spinning.Since the inception of the Andretta Pottery Mansimran Singh has been teaching students from all over the world until his retirement in 2019.Since then he’s been keeping in contact with students and giving advice when required along with his wife Mary.



JUGAL SANKHYAN

Jugal Ji first interaction happened with pottery in 1987 while he was working with DidiContractor who use to stay in Andretta at that point. During that time Jugal ji use to make solar cookers with her.He worked with multiple NGO’S in most rural parts of India teaching people the how to use solar energy to cook food to further reduce carbon footprint.

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In 1995 he came in contact with Mini & Mary seeking to do something new and different in his life. Mini & Mary gave him the opportunity to be a part of Andretta pottery in 1997.He joined as the manager and mainstay of Andretta Pottery. Jugal ji had given almost as much to the enterprise as its founders, Mansimran “Mini” and Mary Singh unitl he passed away at the age of 46. With the couple soon to turn 80 and Kishore ji no longer there to steer. The eldest of three siblings, Shubham Sankhyan returned to his village, Andretta leaving behind his aeronautical engineeri

Visiting Andretta Pottery was an absolute delight. The serene surroundings, skilled artisans - Shubham Sankhyan, Milap ji and Raju ji were just amazing to be around, and hands-on pottery experience made it a memorable visit. A must-see for anyone passionate about pottery or seeking artistic inspiration, you're bound to have a great time if you visit Andretta Pottery.

Good place to visit and try some pottery work by yourself. At least 2 hours will be required if you want to try at least one piece. They provide min 3 month course

It's India's oldest pottery studio. Around 9 km far from the Palampur City. I really enjoyed trying my hands on pottery making.

This is a small place but incredible studio pottery is what you can see here! Pls do not miss this place if you are interested in studio pottery. Also, pls do engage with Shubham, he puts life to the place and pottery here!

Must to visit kids... they not only sell pottery but give hands on experience to kids to create beautiful pottery pieces ..

Excellent experience, people who attended us were warm and happy to help we took 15 mins session from one of the trainers which is charged at 150 and the 45 min session is charged at 600. We created 1 pottery each and were allowed to take it home with us but in the raw form. It takes 2 days for it to dry up and be useful as a showpiece. They also offer longer sessions and there were many students on the manual stations practicing the same. We however used the electric clay rotator for the 15 min session.

Perfect place for people who love Art 🤌🏻

The place for learning clay pottery! Kids xan also dirty their hands here

Our tour operator put this in the itinerary. We were sceptical initially, but then decided to go along with it. And it turns out, this was one of the best memories from our trip! We have this habit of collecting off-beat souvenirs (like a unique rock, or pine cones etc.) from our trips. The souvenir from this trip was something that we created with our bare hands! This is definitely a must visit place if you visit Palampur.

Must try pottery experience!

Awesome experience. Rs.150 for a session and you can make such amazing thing from mud. I loved every second of it.

I have attended two workshops leaning pottery here and it was a splendid experience. The magic of making something out of clay is so meditative out there. There were chirpy students all around enjoying their classes to the hilt which has motivated me to come and learn here some time In the future. I love Shubham’s sculptures and I would say all his art including the plates and mugs! I think I am gonna fill my home and work space with this art! The Himalayan clay sovereign from the Andretta Pottery!

Exquisite pieces of handcrafted pottery made on site & sold. The location is dreamy & amazing, roads narrowly snaking through. You can register for courses online(pre-booking required) that spans for a few months. Impromptu classes may be held(if the organizers are free) to get a feel of working with clay & the wheel for around INR 150. We went without calling prior but were obliged after a lot of cajoling. We did get a nice walk through reg the whole process. Moulding clay in serenity with spectacular mountain ranges in the background - Nirvana!

It was an amazing experience... through out my life, I was so skeptical about my ability to learn pottery... but 15 minutes in this studio are going to change my life forever...teachers are excellent and such a meditative place