INDIA, October 26, 2019 (Star of Mysore): As Deepavali, the festival of lights approaches, mounds of earthen lamps piled up in baskets are growing outside shops in Mysuru. They are in direct competition with shops selling electric goods — the long line of multi-colored, China-made fairy lights dangle and wink at the traditional clay lamps. They seem to be winning too as customers buy boxes of these lights while the ubiquitous symbol of Deepavali, the humble diya, is not even being bought in dozens. Gone are those days when traditional clay lamps were in great demand. The invasion of e-Commerce and China-made lamps has not only affected traders of different merchandise but has also thrown diya-makers out of business.
Diya or earthen lamps form the basis of the celebrations from Oct. 27 to 29. They have been used from time immemorial for festivals and formal religious events. From a simple style, it has evolved into a more artistic form. From the simple small diyas to the big fancy ones, each of them is viable for a place at our homes. For any Hindu celebration, the earthen lamp is a symbol of tradition and beauty. To make the diyas attractive, potters have started painting and coloring them in bright hues. They said in the last two decades, their business has dropped by 60 per cent. The potters added that the tradition of making clay diyas will soon vanish if the Government does not come forward to help them.