Pune: The festival of lights is synonymous with creativity. And Kumbharwada is all oozing with it. This year, the ‘magic diya’, which automatically lits up when oil is poured, has caught the fancy.
Besides that, the handmade earthen lamps, which have glass on top and shining glaze colours on wind chimes are also in high demand. “We make the lamps by mixing red and black soil together. Furthermore, we also mix clay soil for composure and structure,” said Sangeeta Kumbhar, who sells earthen lamps at Kumbharwada.
The entire area is decorated with various earthen lamps, sculptures and mini-forts made up from the soil. “We get the goods from Kolkata, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Gorakhpur. The dealer, dealing in raw material, acts as a middleman and provides us with the lamps,” said Mahesh Kumbhar.
Another seller Shirkhe Navnath said that there is a rise in the transportation cost due to increase in petrol prices. “Almost Rs 30,000 is spent on transportation. Due to this, we manage to make a profit of around 20-25 per cent only,” he said.
He further stated that the selling price of these earthenwares is Rs 50 for 12 lamps and they purchase around 3 lakh lamps every year for the Diwali season.
