All workshops
1 hour10 and upBeginner — no experience needed

Make Your Own Clay Incense Holder in Dharamshala

Make a clay incense holder, a lotus, a mountain, a long boat that catches the ash, and set it on a shelf where the morning starts.

A one-hour incense holder workshop at Mita Pottery Studio in Rakkar, Dharamshala. You shape a kiln-fired, heat-safe holder for sticks or cones: a lotus, a mountain, a small boat that catches the ash. ₹750 per person with glaze and firing included. Ready to collect 3–6 weeks later.

Illustration of a white lotus-shaped ceramic incense holder with a burning stick on a windowsillIllustration

Duration

1 hour — 50 min making, 10 min clean-up

Group size

Up to 6 guests

Price

₹750 / person

Firing

Clay, glaze and firing included

Skill level

Beginner — no experience needed

Age

10 and up

Takeaway

After firing · 3–6 weeks

What you'll take home

Illustration of two small ceramic incense holders, a lotus and a mountainIllustration
Holds
Sticks, cones, or both
Material
Kiln-fired, heat-safe stoneware
Pieces
One holder per seat

Illustration. Yours will be shaped by your own hands.

Before you book

  • Glazing takes 3–6 weeks

    Two firings, so finished pieces are ready 3–6 weeks later.

  • Glaze & firing included

    The price covers clay, glaze and both firings; shipping & handling is ₹350 a piece.

  • Fees are non-refundable

    Fixed rates, no discounts, and no refunds — including no-shows.

  • Handmade, not commercial

    Beginner pieces sometimes break in the making — that's normal.

  • Trimming and shaping can't be promised

    Uneven first-attempt walls can't always be trimmed — we try, no guarantees.

  • Extra time is ₹1,500/hour

    Sessions run for the booked duration; longer is ₹1,500 an hour.

Full studio terms are below — worth two minutes before you request a slot.

Request a slot

Tell us when suits you. We'll confirm the exact time and hold your spot on WhatsApp — usually within a few hours.

1 · Preferred date

Leave it blank if you'd rather we suggest a date.

2 · Time that suits you
3 · Guests
1

₹750 × 1₹750Glaze & firing included

4 · Your name & note
Preview your message
Hi Mita Pottery Studio! I'd like to request a workshop slot.

*Workshop:* Incense Holder (1 hour)
*Preferred date:* Flexible — suggest a date
*Preferred time:* Flexible — any time
*Guests:* 1 · ₹750 total, glaze & firing included
*Name:* —

Sent from the workshop page on mitapottery.com
Send request on WhatsApp

Opens WhatsApp with everything filled in — just hit send. Nothing is charged here; we confirm the slot and payment together. Cancellation policy

Prefer to call? +91 88796 54294

Rakkar is a slow village: yoga mats on rooftops, sound bowls drifting over from a neighbour's terrace. An incense holder belongs to that pace. It is a small object made with care, used every day, and it takes an hour to make.

This is kiln-fired ceramic, so it is heat-safe under a burning stick or cone and will outlast every packet of incense you buy.

What you'll do

You pinch or model a base and decide what it holds: sticks, cones, or both. Madhumita shows you how to set the stick hole at the right angle so the ash falls into the dish rather than onto your table, and how to shape a lip that catches it.

The forms are yours: a lotus, a mountain ridge, a mushroom, a hand, a long boat-shaped ash catcher. You smooth, texture and glaze, and the studio fires it.

The session, step by step

  1. 01Welcome, chai, and finished holders to look at
  2. 02Decide: sticks, cones, or both
  3. 03Pinch and model the form
  4. 04Set the stick hole and the ash lip
  5. 05Texture and smooth
  6. 06Choose a glaze

The session, in motion

  • Two hands pinching the wall of a small clay bowl

    Pinching the wall up

  • Unglazed cups and dishes stacked on shelves inside a kiln

    Into the kiln

Ideas to start from

Directions guests often take. Bring one, mix two, or arrive with nothing and decide at the table.

  • Illustration of a long, narrow celadon ceramic ash catcher for incense sticksIllustration

    A long ash catcher

  • Illustration of a mountain-shaped ceramic incense holder with a cone burning on topIllustration

    A mountain for cones

  • Illustration of a mushroom-shaped ceramic incense holder with a brown capIllustration

    A mushroom

  • Illustration of a cream ceramic incense holder shaped like an open palm, holding one stickIllustration

    An open hand

What's included

Clay, all tools, guidance throughout, chai, and both firings. Glaze and firing are included.

Wear & bring

Your favourite incense, if you'd like to check the stick fits.

Who this is for

Anyone with a morning ritual, yoga and meditation practitioners, and people making a gift that will be used every day.

Meet Madhumita

Madhumita founded Studio Mita in Rakkar and teaches every session herself. Small tables, one person guiding six at most, and time to get the detail right rather than rushing to the clean-up.

— ceramic artist & founder, Studio Mita

Read her full story

Studio terms

What to expect, in full

These apply to every session at the studio. Please read them before requesting a slot — booking means you're happy with them.

Glazing takes 3–6 weeks

Glazing involves two separate firings, so your piece is ready 3–6 weeks after the session. We'll message you as soon as it's out of the kiln — there's no need to follow up before then, as firing times can't be sped up regardless of check-ins. Pieces not collected within one month of being ready are discarded, as we have limited storage space.

Glaze & firing included

Yes. The workshop price covers the session, your clay allowance, tools, guidance, glaze and both firings — there is nothing to pay per piece afterwards. Each workshop's price is set by the piece you make: how much clay it takes and how much kiln space. Studio pickup is free; if you'd like your finished piece sent to you, shipping & handling within India is ₹350 per piece.

Fees are non-refundable

Our rates are fixed and don't include discounts. Fees are non-refundable, including no-shows and cancellations.

Handmade, not commercial

This is studio pottery — handmade, one piece at a time, with natural variation from one piece to the next. It won't look like the smooth, uniform finish of commercial ceramics, and that's the point, not a flaw. Since workshop pieces are made by beginners, breakage during the process — while shaping, drying, or firing — is a real possibility, not a rare exception. Glaze results can also vary. This is a normal part of learning pottery, and the studio isn't responsible for pieces that don't survive the process.

Trimming and shaping can't be promised

Whether a piece can be trimmed and shaped properly depends entirely on how it was made. First attempts rarely come out at a consistent thickness, and walls that are uneven — too thin in one place, too heavy in another — can't always be trimmed to a clean profile without the piece collapsing or cracking. We'll always try our best to shape and trim what you've made, but we can't guarantee the outcome. Please don't come expecting commercial-grade perfection from a first build; the wobble is the honest record of your own hands.

Extra time is ₹1,500/hour

Sessions run for the booked duration. Additional time beyond that is ₹1,500 per hour.

What the session covers

Extra requests like jewellery, charms, or pieces outside the workshop scope aren't included — the same goes for underglazing and choosing specific glaze colours. All of it can be discussed as a separate add-on booking if you're interested, so do ask.

Your pace, your piece

Everyone's creative pace is different. We'll guide you through the process, but pottery takes practice — we don't guarantee a specific outcome, and that's part of what makes each piece genuinely yours.

Damage in transit

Pieces are packaged carefully, but we're not responsible for damage once they leave the studio.

Photography at the studio

We may photograph the studio and finished pieces for our social media. Let us know if you'd prefer not to be included.

More about this workshop

Is it for sticks or cones?

Either, or both. You decide before you start, and Madhumita sizes the hole or the dish to suit.

Is it heat-safe?

Yes. It is kiln-fired stoneware, so a burning stick or cone will not harm it.

Is it fired, or air-dry clay?

Fired in the kiln, glazed and hard. Air-dry clay can crack and is not heat-safe; this is real ceramic.

Can I make two?

One holder per seat. Book two seats for two, or for a holder with a matching tray.

You might also like

Cancellation

Fees are non-refundable, including no-shows and cancellations. Tell us as early as you can if plans change.

Accessibility

The studio is on the 1st floor, stairs only. Call or WhatsApp +91 88796 54294 in advance with accessibility questions.

Getting here

First Floor, Ghoomakkad New Bldg, Rakkar Rd, Rakkar, Himachal Pradesh 176057. Directions

₹750/ person

1 hour · any open day

Request a slot