Diwali craft shift: moulds and machines replace handmade clay diyas across India

Traditional handmade clay diya production is declining across India as artisans shift to hand-pressed moulds, ready-made clay, and machine-made lamps for Diwali trade, five reports from Pune, Mysuru, Greater Noida and Srinagar show. In Pune's Kumbharwada, families now produce nearly 1,000 diyas a day using moulds, up from about 100, but earn only Rs 1 to Rs 1.50 per diya, The Times of India reports. Mysuru artisans told Deccan Herald that handmade lamp output has fallen 75 per cent from a decade ago, with prices doubling from Rs 1 to Rs 2 while machine-made lamps cost Rs 50 to 150.

In Greater Noida, women in self-help groups are making candles and earthen diyas under a UP State Rural Livelihood Mission programme, Hindustan Times reports. In Srinagar, a workshop sold 40,000 earthen diyas in 2026, up from 25,000 in 2025, though traditional potters face declining demand for earthenware overall, Rising Kashmir reports. Al Jazeera reported that rangoli makers are switching to organic materials as costs rise. All five accounts describe crafts adapting to urbanisation, rising input costs, and factory competition.