Delhi: As potters struggle with fading demand for clay diyas, Diwali brings some relief

On why he continues to follow in the professional footsteps of his father and grandfather, Todarmal says, “It’s our traditional work. I am uneducated, but I have decided that my children will not do this work”.

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During Diwali, Todarmal’s family sells nearly 1,000 pieces per day while on other days, they barely manage to sell 200 diyas.

The pots and diyas are made from clay procured from Uttar Pradesh. The cost of the clay, in addition to the transportation cost, has shot up since last year, says Todarmal.

His wife Rekha explains why they haven’t been able to raise the price of the products. “Customers don’t realise the amount of labour that goes into making a pot. The clay has to be pounded, sieved, made into a dough and finally used for making pottery. When we hike prices, customers say — sirf mitti aur pani hi to hai (This is only soil and water),” she says.

The Kumhars at Malka Ganj are not the only ones giving up on pottery. At Central Delhi’s Paharganj market, young potters have started looking for alternate modes of employment.

Rohit, a graduate, helps his mother sell diyas on Diwali but has decided not to continue the traditional work. “It is a skill passed on through generations so we don’t want it to die; that’s why I assist my mother. But our main income comes from my father’s work as a carpenter..I am also looking for work in the telecom industry,” he says.

While e-commerce has not yet made a dent in their business, Chinese wax diyas have.“They are much cheaper and more in demand. If a clay diya costs Rs 50 for 12 pieces, the plastic wax ones will cost Rs 35-40. Customers don’t understand the difference between handwork and machine-work,” says Rohit’s mother Kamlesh.

But the potters in South Delhi’s Hauz Rani are more optimistic and believe that their diyas will always be in demand.

“Chinese items have surely affected us… we have had to innovate and come up with items like clay jhoomars (chandeliers) to replace Chinese lights. But there will always be a market for our diyas because as per Hindu rituals, burning oil lamps is considered sacred. For those who believe in that, replacement items won’t work,” says Ramkumar, a potter.