Sale of earthen lamps picks up in Tiruchi ahead of Karthigai Deepam

TIRUCHI

Come the Tamil month of Karthigai, it is time for celebrating the festival of lamps - Karthigai Deepam. People light Agal Vilakku made of clay on the occasion.

A variety of earthen lamps are on display at the wholesale and retail outlets in Tiruchi and most of them witnessed brisk sales in the run-up to the festival.

Artisans involved in the production of earthen lamps have their hands full at making different varieties of earthen lamps. They start working three or four months before the festival.

R. Jaishankar, an earthen lamp artisan of 20 years in Kondayampettai in Tiruvanaikovil, says it is the busiest time of the year. “We make 1,000 lamps per day and cater to many shops in the city. We also supply lamps to the temples every year.”

In order to woo customers, they have also taken up painting the lamps in vibrant colours with golden borders. The variety is endless, from the smallest one-inch lamp priced at ₹2 to an intricate two-storey lamp around idols of Gods and Goddesses, which are priced at ₹100.

Some of the artisans at Kondayamanpettai have switched over to mechanisation for making the traditional earthen lamps. The power-operated hydraulic equipment not only makes labour easy to a great extent as compared to the conventional method, it also protects from skin allergies.

S. Ramu, the artisan, claims that the new method has spared him intensive labour. As many as 3,000 lamps could be made now as against 1,000 lamps a day under the old method. The equipment could be altered for making larger or smaller lamps also. “We are hopeful that things would improve during this season. Compared to last year, the sales are bright and most of the lamps have been sold already,” Mr. Ramu adds.