All workshops
2 hours12 and upBeginner — no drawing experience needed

Paint a Mughal Pattern Plate in Dharamshala

Paint a plate in the Mughal pattern tradition: a lotus medallion, a cypress border, a jaali lattice. Underglaze, fired, and yours to eat from.

A two-hour underglaze plate painting workshop at Mita Pottery Studio in Rakkar, Dharamshala. You paint Mughal motifs (a lotus medallion, a cypress border, jaali) on a ready-shaped 20 cm stoneware plate. ₹2,800 per person with glaze and firing included; the food-safe plate is ready to collect 3–6 weeks later.

Illustration of a stoneware plate painted with a blue and ochre lotus medallion and a cypress borderIllustration

Duration

2 hours — 105 min making, 15 min clean-up

Group size

Up to 6 guests

Price

₹2,800 / person

Firing

Clay, glaze and firing included

Skill level

Beginner — no drawing experience needed

Age

12 and up

Takeaway

After firing · 3–6 weeks

What you'll take home

Illustration, from above, of a plate painted all over with a blue lotus medallion and floral borderIllustration
Size
One 20 cm quarter plate
Finish
Underglaze under a clear, food-safe glaze
Care
Food-safe; hand washing keeps the colour longest

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

₹2,800 × 1₹2,800Glaze & firing included

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

*Workshop:* Mughal Pattern Plate (2 hours)
*Preferred date:* Flexible — suggest a date
*Preferred time:* Flexible — any time
*Guests:* 1 · ₹2,800 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

Madhumita's own work is underglaze painting, so this is the workshop closest to what she makes for the shop. You paint a ready-shaped plate with the motifs of Mughal decoration: a centre medallion, a repeating border, the small flowers that fill the space between.

The pattern does most of the work. Stencils and a motif grid keep the geometry true, so the afternoon goes into colour and line rather than into worrying about drawing.

What you'll do

You start by choosing a layout from the studio's motif sheets: a lotus or a star medallion, a cypress-and-vine border, a jaali lattice, or a chinar leaf in the Kashmiri manner. Madhumita shows you how to mark the plate into equal segments so the border closes without a gap, and how to load a brush with underglaze so a line stays even.

You paint in layers, light colour first and outlines last, on a plate already shaped and bisque-fired for you. A clear glaze goes over the top, and the plate is fired again so the pattern sits under a food-safe surface.

The session, step by step

  1. 01Welcome, chai, and a look at Madhumita's own painted pieces
  2. 02Choose a layout from the motif sheets
  3. 03Mark the plate into segments and trace the medallion
  4. 04Lay in the colour, then the outlines
  5. 05Fill the border and the small flowers
  6. 06Clear glaze; the studio fires it

The session, in motion

  • A hand painting a small blue floral motif onto a white ceramic plate

    Painting, stroke by stroke

  • 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 cobalt-on-white plate with a lattice border and a star medallionIllustration

    Cobalt on white, jaali border

  • Illustration of a platter painted in ochre and green with a cypress-and-vine borderIllustration

    Ochre cypress platter

  • Illustration of a plate painted with a single rust-coloured chinar leafIllustration

    A chinar leaf, Kashmiri style

  • Illustration of a plate painted with a stylised blue and teal peacockIllustration

    Peacock, kept simple

What's included

A ready-shaped, bisque-fired plate, underglazes, brushes, stencils and motif sheets, guidance throughout, chai, and the glaze firing. Glaze and both firings are included.

Wear & bring

Nothing. If you have a pattern you love, a photo of a tile, a textile or a doorway, bring it on your phone.

Who this is for

People drawn to Indian pattern and colour, anyone who would rather paint than shape clay, and guests who like slow, absorbing detail work. Beginners welcome: the stencils carry the geometry.

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

Do I need to be good at drawing?

No. Stencils and a segment grid keep the medallion and border even; you choose colours and fill. People who do draw can freehand.

Is the plate food-safe?

Yes. The pattern is underglaze, sealed under a clear food-safe glaze and fired, so it is safe for food and hand washing.

Is this Jaipur blue pottery?

No. Jaipur blue pottery uses a quartz-based body and its own glaze. This is stoneware painted in underglaze. The motifs share a Mughal lineage; the technique is different.

How long does the painting take?

Two hours, clear glaze included. Most guests finish the medallion and the border with time left to add small flowers.

Can I paint my own design instead?

Yes. The motif sheets are a starting point, not a rule.

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

₹2,800/ person

2 hours · any open day

Request a slot