“Diwali has always been an auspicious festival season for us. These diyas you see, we fire them at around 900°C. We shape them by hand in different sizes and styles, depending on what our customers want. The process is all hands-on—molding the clay, letting it dry, painting it, and then sending it into the kiln before it’s ready for the market.

The earnings aren’t huge, but that’s not why we do it. It’s about keeping our community’s craft alive. We’ve been doing this for generations, and now our children are learning too. Every diya carries a little of our effort, our patience, and our family’s experience.

These days, wholesale buyers tell us people are leaning towards the shiny, new things. So we try new designs too, hoping to keep our work going all year round. For us, it’s steady, honest work, and it feels good knowing that when Diwali comes, homes across Hyderabad will light up with lamps made by our hands.”