Diwali lights up Potters’ Village in Delhi
With Diwali and several other festivals just coming up, West Delhi’s “Kumhar Gaon” or Potter’s Village seems flooded with a wide range of artistic terracotta pottery creations, all made by artisans who have been practicing this art for several generations.
The biggest selling item, of course, is the humble diya or small earthen lamps that dominate the Diwali celebrations that are believed to have continued since Hindu deity Lord Rama came back home after the defeat of the devil Ravana.
A large assortment of festive essentials that includes earthen lamps, pots, jars, lids, clay idols of Hindu gods and goddesses and many other religiously and culturally significant items find their spaces either on the front porches of the potters’ house or small shops close to their homes.
“After getting the soil, we work on removing the small solid pebbles and rocks by filtering it through many sieves which takes nothing less than a whole day. Then we add the other ingredients before finally kneading it like dough to form the perfect composition for working on the wheel,” says Pradeep Kumar, a potter who has been working for over 40 years.
Many of the potters in the colony who hold national, state and Shilp Guru awards for their fine work also make earthen lamps and other festive items which are sold in national and international markets.
As buyers and dealers frenetically search for the best goods at the lowest prices, Kumar highlights that the situation is far better this year in comparison to 2020 when a series of lockdowns put out Diwali celebrations, creating immense misery for the potters.
“While the work is still 60 pc of what it was in 2019 but, it is far better than 2020,” adds Kumar.
Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is to be celebrated on Thursday, November 4.
Text: Vipasha Sharma
Photos: Aman Kanojiya