Narrow lanes in Ghumar Mandi in Ludhiana buzzing with hope as Diwali nears

The narrow lanes of Ghumar Mandi and Haibowal are abuzz with activity as Diwali nears.
The markers that house potters are gearing up to sell handcrafted earthen lamps, clay based shrines and decorative pieces for customers from across the city.
Deepak Kumar, a potter in Ghumar Mandi, delved into the trend of clay based craftsmanship.
He said that for decades, these streets used to be the hub of pottery and traditional artisans prepared earthen pieces for the city’s Diwali celebrations.
However, with passage of time, the craft is facing a slow decline, kept alive only by a few remaining families in Ghumar Mandi, a market that gets its name from potters, he added.
“I learnt the craft of pottery from my mother at the age of 12. It has been passed down by our ancestors. But the younger generation is not interested as they don’t see any future in it,” said Rajesh Prakash, another artisan in Ghumar Mandi.
“I only work on earthenware during Diwali. The rest of the year, I drive an auto to make ends meet. We don’t earn much from pottery but continue as it is a family tradition,” he added.
Pradeep, an artisan in Haibowal, stressed the labour-intensive nature of the work.
“This Diwali, I received over 20,000 orders and spent 14 hours a day crafting clay based shrines.
“The clay is sourced from Ambala and Indore. It took me two and a half months to complete all the orders,” he said.
Janaki Devi, another potter in Haibowal noted that the market is flooded with modern and electric alternatives.