The fluttering light of diyo

The highlights of Tihar are twin­kling lights that illuminate whole neighborhoods and cit­ies. However, the representation of the “Festival of Lights” has slightly changed with the growing use of different items to light up homes instead of only diyo or pala. The use of traditional earthen lamps that have traditionally been used to remove the darkness of Aushi, the day of new moon, and bring good luck, prosperity and purity during Tihar is decreasing.

 The demand for diyo, it seems, is decreasing due to greater availabili­ty of its modern-day alternatives like LED lights and candles. So much so that the diyo has been reduced to no more than a cultural symbol. Shiva Hari Prajapati, a potter and pottery shopkeeper at the famous Pottery Square in Bhaktapur who has been in the business for the past 16 years, says, “Pala sales have decreased. But some are still being sold for their cultural significance.”

The decrease in the use of diyo is also due to decreased production of earthen lamps. The number of people involved has decreased too. Some clay workers left the profes­sion after being displaced by the 2015 earthquake. Others, like Bud­dhi Ram Prajapati, also of Pottery Square, stopped making diyo so that they could devote more time to making other clay handiworks, which bring greater profits.

Those in the trade cite increased production cost as a reason fewer people are making diyo. Difficulty in getting clay has been a major challenge. The clay that used to be available to the potters for free now costs Rs 7,000- Rs 8,000 for a single truck worth of supply.

For this reason, says Srijin Pra­japati, one of the few potters in Pot­tery Square who are still involved in making diyo, wholesale price of 100 diyos has gone up from Rs 90-Rs 100 from the time the clay was available for free to Rs 140 - Rs 160 now.