PRABHAT PANIGRAHI, OP
Khordha: For generations, the potters of Deuli village under Bolagarh block in Khordha district have kept alive the traditional craft of transforming ordinary clay into beautiful earthen lamps.
But as Diwali approaches, the familiar sound of spinning potter’s wheels carries an undertone of uncertainty, with artisans struggling to protect their hereditary occupation from mounting economic pressures.
The growing influx of machine-made earthen lamps from other states, coupled with rising prices of raw materials and fuel, has severely affected the livelihood of local pottery families.
Despite their labour-intensive production process, artisans say their earnings are steadily declining.
During the festive season, Deuli’s pottery households remain busy shaping thousands of lamps.
From moulding clay on traditional wheels to drying the products under the sun and firing them in kilns, every stage requires considerable time and physical effort.
Each artisan produces more than 500 small and large lamps a day. Priced between 50 paise and `50, these are supplied to markets in Khordha, Nayagada, Kataka, Puri and Bhubaneswar.
