Meet 91-Year-Old Pardes, Only Potter In Kummari Veedhi Who Continues To Bring Lights To Homes

Earthen diyas gain much significance with the onset of Diwali festivities. With contemporary celebrations taking over, the traditional earthen diyas were replaced with painted and glazed diyas that are made available in the markets. Even then, the crafting of diya continues to constitute an integral part of the culture and traditional festivities.

Despite the kind of sales that surge for these diyas, the lives of potters who craft them are not as joyous as the festivals, especially for the many craftsmen in pottery villages who rely on the traditional craft as their primary livelihood. One such individual who conveys this message loud and clear is the 91-year-old Srikakulam Pardes, the last potter left in the Kummari Veedhi colony of Visakhapatnam.

Keeping The Art Alive

For the many earthen lamps and aesthetic accessories that are churned out of the potter's wheel, the kind of returns that come to potters are negligible. Due to this reason, many people from traditionally potter families switched to a more sustainable and secure occupation line.

91-year-old Srikakulam Pardes, who continues to make earthen diyas regardless of their staggering supply-demand chains, is among those who stayed back in an attempt to revive the traditional art. The last potter left in the potter's colony of Kummari Veedhi in Visakhapatnam, he reminisces that there was a time when over 40 families of potters would craft 6,000 diyas during Diwali.

As the traditional potters in the potter colonies are slowly slipping into extinction, Pardes continues to eagerly await the festivities to begin so that he can return to his wheel.

Days Of Pottery Under Question

The pandemic and inflation had made the condition worse for potters like Pardes. Clay prices had substantially increased by three times, and getting a truck of clay started costing them nothing less than ₹ 18,000. Along with this, they also have to adapt to the dramatically changing consumer markets.

A good portion of modern customers prefers purchasing colourful designer diyas over simple traditional earthen ones. These are made easily available at supermarkets, shopping malls and retail outlets during the season. However, some continue to opt for the handmade earthen diyas over the extensively designed assorted moulds, which continue to keep the art alive.

A report by The Hindu stated that Pardes has been working with this same motivation for over 80 years now and hopes to be churning the wheel for the rest of his time.

Also Read: Diwali Lamps Bring Hope As Kashmiri Youth Revives The Craft Of Dal Gate Pottery In The Valley