Clay diyas (top) and its wax variants on sale at a city shop. Pictures by Ashok Karan

Ranchi, Oct. 16: This Diwali, homes would not be lit by traditional clay diyas, but by their less messy and easier-to-use wax counterparts.

With apartment culture catching up, residents of the state capital are opting for “designer wax diyas”, as they are known in the market, to avoid oil spills on marble floors and the bother of having to replenish oil — problems associated with the traditional clay lamps. The wide range of designer lamps in attractive colours and innovative designs available in the market is only adding to the lure.

Riti Srivastaw, a resident of Hari Om Towers, explained why the traditional diyas are loosing sheen. “People like me, who stay in apartments, don’t have too much space. The wax lamps are much more compact in terms of maintenance as we don’t have to clean the oil marks on floors and walls, which are common during Diwali,” she said.

More than 50 varieties of such lamps are available and they have been brought from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Delhi. Obtainable in shapes of Swastika, flowers, heart, hand, temple and thali, just to name a few, these diyas cost between Rs 20 and Rs 300. Sequins, laces and mirror designs add to the designer tag. The craze this season, say shopkeepers, is lamps shaped like Ganesh-Lakshmi and women with sari pallu over the head.

Proprietor of furnishing house Avaraan, Murari Agarwal, swears by the designer lamps. Having brought them from Bhuj in Gujarat, he says the artistes there start making these diyas five months before the Diwali festivities.

“We have a collection of wax diyas. Using these lamps, one can avoid oil spills. The need to fill oil, as in clay diyas, can also be eliminated. These lamps burn through the night and are attractive too,” he added.

Another diya-seller is Kundan Kachyap’s Archies Gallery, where the wax diyas have “fashioned out” the traditional ones.

“People buy a pack of six designer candles and adorn their houses instead of going through the trouble of buying oil and cotton and keeping the lamps burning throughout the night. It is costly, of course, as these wax lamps have to be brought from Maharasthra and other such states,” said Kashyap.

Two years ago, he recollected, the “Devdaas diyas” were available in the market and they were “a huge hit”. This year the choices are more.