Clay diya trade shrinks in Bhaktapur as Rajbiraj sees festival demand rise
Potters in Bhaktapur say electric lights have cut demand for clay diyas, Ratopati reported, while a trader in Rajbiraj says sales of clay and bamboo festival goods double in the run-up to Tihar.
As Tihar and Chhath approach, reports from two parts of Nepal point in opposite directions for traditional clay and bamboo goods: potters in Bhaktapur say their trade in clay lamps is shrinking, while traders in Rajbiraj say demand is up.
In Bhaktapur, potters say fewer people now buy clay oil lamps, or diyas, for Tihar, Ratopati reported. Sajan Prajapati, who has worked in the family trade for 20 years, told the outlet that demand is far lower than it was a decade ago, and blamed electric lights brought in from India and elsewhere. According to Ratopati, some in the trade have moved to other businesses as sales fell, and Prajapati said his may be the last generation to make pottery. Diyas made in Bhaktapur go to the Kathmandu Valley and to places including Kavre, Chitwan, Dhading, Nuwakot and Pokhara, the outlet said.
In Rajbiraj, Saptari, the trade in clay and bamboo goods has picked up since Dashain, according to reports carried by Gorkhapatra, Nagarik, Kendrabindu and Khabarhub. Buchanidevi Sah, who has sold bamboo goods for a decade, said demand has grown for the clay lamps, kalash and ghaila pots used in Tihar, and for the bamboo koniya, winnowing trays (nanglo) and dhaki baskets used in Chhath. She said her trade, about Rs 1,000 a day in other seasons, doubles between Dashain and Tihar. Outside the festivals, she said, people buy these goods mainly for weddings, bratabandha and household rites.
Mamata Jha, a resident of Rajbiraj Municipality-2, said everyone in Madhesh observes Tihar and Chhath and that clay pots and bamboo goods are needed for every festival and puja there, so buying them is all but unavoidable. Rajbiraj Mayor Israt Parween said it was a good thing that clay goods made by the Kumal community and bamboo goods made by the Marik (Dom) community, who live in municipalities across the district, sell in the local market. The mayor said this keeps money within the district and means residents do not have to rely on other districts for these goods.