Think of Diwali and what is the first that comes to your mind? Diyas, the earthen lamps that have been lighting up our homes since ages. But what goes into their making? What types of diyas are made? What is the process? What is the production cost and how much do the makers earn? InUth visited a settlement of potters in east Delhi to know everything about the age-old profession.
A total of eight families are involved in the profession who sell clay based products. In the season which starts from Janmashtami and ends till Diwali, they have to work thrice as hard. People of all ages in their families work during the season to keep up with the rising demand from both wholesale and retail customers.They sell both ordinary as well as fancy diyas. The fancier one’s are usually sourced from outside.
The entire diya making process takes an entire day. First the sand is melted, then it is made to swell. It is broken and mashed. It is then put on the pottery wheel from where diyas are made. The diyas are then heated and later coloured. Every day, they manage to produce around 100-150 diyas.
The production cost is around is anywhere around Rs 2,000- 2,500. In the entire season, they earn somewhere around Rs 2-2.50 lakh.
But in the age of fancy electric lights have diyas lost significance?
No, not at all. The demand for diyas has only increased as per the sellers. They say that people are now ditching plastic and are switching to clay-based products which are not harmful for the environment. Moreover, lighting of diyas is an old-age tradition which will never go out of fashion.
