Hyderabad: Local earthen diya makers in the city are facing tough times this Diwali season. They are struggling to sell their traditional diyas because of the large number of fancy diyas coming from other states. Many diya makers have shared their worries about not receiving enough orders from traders during this festive time.
The diya makers said that their business has been affected by many issues this year. One of the main problems is the arrival of fancy diyas from states like Kolkata, Orissa, and Rajasthan. On top of that, there is a shortage of clay, and the price of clay and other materials, like paints, has gone up a lot. The heavy rains this year also reduced the demand for traditional diyas by about 30%. Usually, diya makers prepare their products two weeks before Diwali, but this year, they are still busy making them.
Some diya makers pointed out that urban development has caused lakes and ponds to disappear, making it harder to find clay. This has created more challenges for them. Additionally, with more people shopping online, fewer are buying traditional diyas, which has slowed down their sales even more.
Nageshwar Rao, a diya maker from Ameerpet, explained, “Five years ago, we used to get clay from local water bodies, but now, with more illegal construction, lakes are disappearing, and there’s a shortage of clay. We now have to buy it. Clay used to cost around Rs 5,000 for a truckload, but now it costs between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000. Earlier, we could pay after delivery, but now we have to make an online payment in advance.”
Shamalla, who has been making diyas for 30 years, shared his concerns. “The demand for locally made diyas is going down because people now prefer fancy diyas. Traditional diyas are seen as old-fashioned. Normally, by this time, we are flooded with orders, but this year, with just a week left for the festival, I’ve received very few orders.”
Ramesh Muduli, a diya maker at Pot Market in Secunderabad, said, “We usually start making diyas and pots right after Ganesh Chaturthi, but the heavy rains in September delayed us. By now, we would normally have finished making the diyas, but I’m still working on them, and I haven’t received many orders yet.”
