This festive season, the manufacture and sales of mud diyas went down because of which the potters and sellers are facing loss in their business.
Potters are making less mud lamps due to low demand. Potters say that earlier there used to be sales of 5000 mud lamps but now it has come down to 1000 to 1500 mud lamps.
Lavanya, a potter says “Sales are not happening that much so that’s why we are not making much diyas.”
Sellers say that this Diwali the sales of mud lamps went down drastically with sales accounting for 15 percent of the total mud lamps. Sellers faced a loss of 85 percent due to which they are facing financial issues.
N.Goverdhana, a wholesaler and seller at pottery town says “Only 15 percent business happened but 85 percent loss. No one is buying our mud item, they are buying all fancy and china items so that is why we are in loss. When we keep the extra diyas in the storage then 60 percent of the stock gets damaged.”
The potters say that they have to bear extra expenses to store the unsold mud lamps as most of them gets damaged and also they have to do the repainting work again and give labor charges as well.
Potters say that because of the artificial lights, lamps and candles people are not buying local mud lamps and so that is why they have reduced the production of mud lamps this year.
Pooja, a buyer says “Due to time constraints people buy artificial lights and diyas and not the mud diyas because it takes time to put oil and stuff.”
With the changing times people don’t have time to buy local handmade mud lamps and are moving towards readymade lamps due to which our local mud lamp makers and sellers are facing loss in their business.
