KENDRAPARA: Diwali is a boom time for nearly 140 families involved in the art of making diyas (earthen lamps) in the district.
With the sale of diyas picking pace, all family members are engaged in making the clay lamps in one way or the other. Sanyasi Behera, an artisan of Teregaon, said diya makers are working overtime to meet the demand since the last one month to earn more during Diwali. “The festival of light is a big occasion for us to boost our income,” he said.
Diyas are painted with different colours to make them look more attractive. The price of a coloured lamp ranges from `10 to `50 while the cost of a traditional diya varies from `2 to `10.
Bichitrananda Behera (30) of Marsaghai said diya-making has been the profession of his family for the last many generations. “I want to teach my five-year-old son the art of diya-making in case he doesn’t find any decent job,” he said.
However, diya-making is facing a bleak future due to lack of interest among the new generation artisans to pursue the craft. “Since making diyas is a seasonal business, large number of youths in our families are not willing to continue this trade,” lamented Yosabanta Behera of Parakula village.
Shortage of skilled labour has become the biggest hurdle in their business. “Some of us, who are still practising the craft are doing so only to keep the hereditary art-form alive. But one cannot make both ends meet in this profession,” he added.
This apart, easy availability of terracotta diyas from West Bengal, Gujarat and Rajasthan as well as the Chinese lamps in the market poses a challenge to the local artisans.