“I learnt the art of pottery from my father. It is our family tradition. Earlier, families belonging to the pottery community used to make diyas all around the year but now they are slowly drifting to other professions given the decline in demand and also a shortage of raw materials.

I have given my entire time to pottery and diya making but my children only help me during their free time. They have realised that it is not possible to run a family if everyone sticks to this profession, especially after the pandemic. After investing so much labour and time, we hardly make any money. We make pots throughout the year and focus on diya making just before two months of the Diwali season. We sell all these for a minimal price.

However, retailers make a lot of money by selling them at almost double the price. That’s why our children decided to choose other professions.

I hope people realise the actual meaning of Diwali and its cultural importance. Whoever is watching this, I request you all to keep supporting us so that we could keep this age-old tradition alive.”