About Andretta Pottery and Craft Society
Andretta Pottery and Craft Society is India's oldest working studio pottery, established in 1983 by Mansimran Singh and Mary Singh in Andretta village, Kangra district. Located in the foothills of the Dhauladhar Himalayan range, the society promotes traditional pottery crafts through production, workshops, and a terracotta museum displaying regional and international ceramic works.
Visitors guide
Visitors can observe artisans at work in the production studio, explore a small terracotta museum featuring local Kangra pottery and international samples, purchase handmade ceramics from the craft shop, and participate in hands-on pottery sessions on the wheel. The open-air studio setting provides opportunities to watch the slip designing technique and interact with potters.
Key highlights
- 01
India's oldest working studio pottery
- 02
Hands-on pottery wheel experience for visitors
- 03
Terracotta museum with regional and international collections
- 04
Traditional slip designing pottery technique
- 05
Craft shop selling handmade pottery and Himachali products
History of Andretta Pottery and Craft Society
The Andretta Pottery and Craft Society was established in 1983 by Mansimran (Mini) Singh, son of renowned potter Gurcharan Singh who founded Delhi Blue Pottery in 1952. The society was created with Central Government funding to promote and preserve the region's dying crafts, continuing Andretta's artistic legacy that began in the 1920s when Irish theatre practitioner Norah Richards established the village as an artists' colony.