Traditional lamps are not radiant in the Diwali season here this year, as China-made lamps flood the market.
The cheap glitter-painted imports are sold by vendors at street corners, and are prominently displayed at the backward classes hostel grounds, the designated venue for sale of crackers.
Traditional potter families of Kumbar Oni area in Naubad, on Bidar’s outskirts, see the cheap imports as unequal competition.
The Chinese lamps come in different shapes and sizes, some shaped like serial lights and others like candles, small bells and chimes.
“I think they are machine made. It is not possible to produce such varieties otherwise,’’ says Mohammad Khalid, who deals in crackers and lamps. He estimates that at least three truck loads of Chinese lamps were shipped to Bidar this festive season from wholesalers in Hyderabad, Pune, Solapur and Parabhani.
Another trader, Vaijanath Phubba, said the margins on these lamps are high. “We are buying a box for Rs. 360. Some retailers are selling that for up to Rs. 850,” he said.
Neither trader asked for ‘China ka mal’ (Chinese goods) from suppliers in Hyderabad. “But then, Chinese lamps are the natural choice for most traders as they are cheaper and their logistics well-managed. Packages are delivered to our doorstep. We don’t even have to go to Hyderabad market,” Mr. Khalid said.
Five years ago, traditional potters made about 2.5 lakh lamps for Diwali. But this year, the total number the colony produced has not touched even 75,000, said Tukaram Kumbar, a resident of Naubad.
As the fortunes of traditional craftsmen plummet, only about 20 of 75 potter families still make lamps. Others have shifted to jobs such as sales boys, peons or security guards in Bidar or Hyderabad, Mr. Tukaram said. We make about 60 paisa to one rupee per lamp, he said.
Distribution hiccupsTraders like Mr. Khalid feel that the local, hand-made lamps provide lower margins and are difficult to source as they have to be bought at the potter’s home.
Kashinath, who quit pottery to join a private company in Bidar, says over the last few years, young people left their traditional occupation.
“Chinese goods are not the sole reason for our losses, but a major one,” he said. There is also a fall in demand as people prefer electrical lamps, and there is difficulty in getting the best soil from tank beds. Socially, the practice of families lighting lamps in temples or lake bunds is on the wane. He says reports in newspapers about Chinese lamps containing harmful chemicals is worrying.
Bidar potters have been saved from penury, thanks to a cooperative society they formed 20 years ago, says Dattatreya Balashetty, the society’s president.
The occasional festival pushes up revenue for traditional potters. But the Lakshya Deepotsava in Chowli Mutt which brought devotees together to light nearly one lakh lamps has stopped. “Chowli mutya, the seer, died a few years ago,” he explains.
In a bright spot, the Shambulingeshwar temple in Rekulagi has taken 5,000 lamps this year. “We are thankful, but such orders should get bigger,” Mr. Balashetty said. Off season, the society produces Tandoori pots, pitchers and large pots for cooking and storing water and vegetables.
