Diya makers stare at dark Diwali

Hyderabad: Local earthen diya makers are struggling hard due to the flood of fancy diyas from other States in the city during this Diwali season. They expressed their woes about not getting any orders to purchase traditional diyas from the traders during the festive season.

Diya makers have noted that this year, their business has been impacted by several factors, including the influx of fancy diyas from other States such as Kolkata, Orissa, and Rajasthan, as well as a shortage of clay and a steep rise in the cost of clay and other raw materials, especially paints. Additionally, torrential rains have caused a 30 per cent drop in demand for traditional diyas. Typically, diyas and pots are prepared two weeks before the festival, but this year, makers are still busy crafting the earthen diyas and pots.

Several makers mentioned that urbanisation has led to the disappearance of lakes and ponds, making clay a scarce and valuable resource, which has created challenges in sourcing it. Additionally, the trend of online shopping has contributed to the declining demand for traditional diyas, causing a further slowdown in their sales.

"Five years ago, we used to source clay from local water bodies, but with illegal encroachments, lakes are gradually vanishing, leading to a clay shortage. Now, we are forced to buy it. For crafting traditional diyas, we usually transport clay from Medchal and nearby areas. Previously, a truckload of clay cost around Rs 5,000, but now the price has soared to between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000. Earlier we used to pay after delivery, but now we're required to make an advance online payment,” said Nageshwar Rao, an earthen diya maker from Ameerpet.

Shamalla, who has been in the diya-making business for three decades, shared, "The demand for locally crafted diyas is fading due to the growing popularity of fancy diyas. People no longer seem interested in traditional diyas, considering them outdated, and instead prefer the fancier options. Normally, by this time, we are overwhelmed with orders, but now, with just a week left until the festival, I have received very few orders."

Ramesh Muduli, a diya maker at Pot Market, Secunderabad, said, "We usually start crafting diyas and pots right after Ganesh Chaturthi, but this year, the heavy rains in September caused a delay. By now, we would normally have our diyas ready, but I'm still in the process of making them, and I have yet to receive a significant number of orders."