By Tazeen Qureshy
Bhubaneswar: As the festival of lights sets in, the demand for ‘diyas,’ the traditional earthen lamps are on a rise. At a local exhibit in the City, which had potters and craftsman from almost all the district participating, the sale has been encouraging.
From the past few years, there has been a shift from traditional to fancy ‘diyas.’ Keeping up with the trend, the artisans have learnt the art too – applying modern techniques and machines to meet the requirement.
Shivani, who has come from Koraput, has acrylic painted ‘diyas’ to offer the customers. She says she got the idea of fancy painted diyas during her stay at Mumbai and wanted to bring the style back home.
“People in Mumbai are known for their unique style. In Diwali, I had seen they would decorate their houses with fancy diyas. Since Diya forms the basis of Diwali, I started painting them using acrylic colours. My efforts were appreciated as the painted diyas not only offered a stylish look, but also didn’t blacken and could be reused,” Shivani says.
However, a few potters claim however fancy the taste is, the traditional ones will never cease to exist.
“Undoubtedly, there is a shift towards fancy items. But, people haven’t stopped decorating with traditional diyas. All the traditional lamps I had brought are sold out,” says a potter from Nabarangpur.
The cost of medium-sized fancy diyas range from Rs 40 to Rs 100.
Ms Kalinga