How Leela Bordia Revived Jaipur Blue Pottery & Changed the Fortunes of Hundreds

“I never chose blue pottery, it chose me”, says Leela Bordia, whose efforts breathed life into the craft while changing the fortunes of hundreds of villagers.

Even during the peak of the pandemic, the blue pottery artisans of Jaipur continued to earn a living, thanks to Leela Bordia and her company Neerja International.

Leela, an artist and adorer of craftworks, happened to visit Jaipur in 1976. But she was disheartened to see the poor living conditions of the pottery artists there.

Two years later, she founded Neerja, an exclusive platform to showcase and sell blue pottery. Leela coordinated with them through the company’s self-reliant production units in each village.

Her only mandate was that they should innovate more in blue pottery. Therefore, along with artistic masterpieces, the artists came up with everyday products too, which aided their earnings.

Today, Neerja International sells more than 500 pottery designs crafted by 1,000 artisans, both online and offline.

Watch the success story of this artist-cum-entrepreneur here:

 

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