In the narrow lanes of Dakshindari’s Pal Para, the familiar sight of rows of freshly moulded clay diyas basking under the autumn sun is missing this year. The air that once smelled of wet clay and paint now carries a sense of worry. With both monsoon and unseasonal rains battering Kolkata for much of the year, the small-scale diya-makers of this neighbourhood, once a hub for handmade lamps, are facing a bleak festive season.
Lakhan Pal, who grew up among heaps of clay and piles of diyas, looked over his half-stocked stall. “My family had been making diyas for 40 years. But now I only buy them from Duttapukur and other places. It rained most of the year, and the retailers were scared to buy in bulk. Someone who bought 1,000 pieces earlier was now taking just 500. Who knew when it would rain again?” he said.
A few lanes away, sexagenarian Sonali Singh sat beside her small heap of colourful diyas, each hand-painted with care. She had been crafting these since her teenage years. “People used to love plain clay diyas once. Now everyone preferred the colourful ones. But this year, both kinds suffered. The diyas couldn’t dry on time, and the market was slow. Buyers were unsure, and we had fewer pieces to sell,” she said.
The slowdown rippled beyond Pal Para’s boundaries. In Dalhousie, Bapi Dutta, who sells garments for most of the year, usually turns his pavement into a small festive shop during the season. “The rain spoiled everything. Durga Puja wasn’t great, and now people were hesitant to buy diyas. If we stocked too many, they might have sat unsold,” he said.
For the remaining few families, the traditional clay workers in Dakshindari, the rains washed away not just clay but also hope. Once, Pal Para would light up thousands of homes across Kolkata. This Diwali, the flicker of the humble clay diya may burn dimmer, but the artisans still wait, hoping for clearer skies and better days with more sales.
“Fancy candles and lights have already taken over from diyas. Most people find it difficult to pour oil, make a wick and keep the diya burning. With lights and candles it's easier. Diyas are seeing less demand in recent years,” said another seller.
Kolkata has had a surplus of rainfall this year, with September-October recording prolonged wet spells and thunderstorms that punctuated what should have been the final dry days before Diwali. According to the Met office, the city and much of south Bengal has only turned dry in the last few days after a long monsoon.
