With the sun playing hide and seek for the last few days because of inclement weather in the delta region, potters in Thanjavur are racing against time to cash in on the demand for earthen lamps in the run up to the Karthigai Deepam festival.
While a few of them have managed to make sufficient number of small lamps before the weather changed, a majority of them, who laid their hands on the mud only a few weeks ago, find themselves in a fix. They are finding it difficult to dry the wet clay lamps before firing them in the kiln. However, they are still hopeful that they can make it to the market in time since Karthigai Deepam festival falls is being celebrated in the last week of November.
