Pottery business takes a hit in Mandi

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, October 28

Local potters have been finding it hard to make ends meet. Reason: The rising demand for Chinese lights. They said people preferred buying Chinese items to earthen lamps, which had hit their business hard. 

Pottery art is a source of livelihood for a large number of families in Mandi district, but with the advent of Chinese products in the market, their business has seen a sharp decline.

Dhani Ram, a potter of Behna village, said: “There were days when me and my family overworked to prepare clay lamps for Diwali, but with the arrival of Chinese products in the market, our business has seen a sharp decline.” 

He said that the cost of earthen lamps ranged from Rs 2 to Rs 20. “There has been a sharp decrease in the sale of earthen lamps in the past few years,” he added.

Khem Singh, another potter, said “The festival of lights has lost its traditional charm. People prefer to decorate their houses with Chinese lights rather than using earthen lamps.”

The potters’ rues that the successive governments failed to protect their business of pottery.