Assam’s pottery clusters are working overtime to meet Diwali and Kali Puja demand, with artisan families in Asharikandi and Heerapara producing crores of traditional earthen lamps while competing with Chinese decorative products and terracotta lamps brought from West Bengal.
Asharikandi village in Dhubri district, one of Assam’s prominent terracotta craft clusters, has around 160 artisan families involved in the seasonal production, according to local artisan Debdas Paul. Nearly 500 artisans work for about two months to meet the festive demand, he said, producing close to 15 crore earthen lamps.
The work is concentrated around the festival season, when demand rises sharply for lamps used in homes, shops and community celebrations. The production cycle has required artisans to work overtime, making the seasonal market an important source of income for families dependent on traditional pottery.
At Heerapara village in Ramdia under Hajo in Kamrup district, pottery-making families have also extended their working hours to fulfil orders. Traditional artisan Bimala Barman said 90 families in the village had produced nearly 5 crore earthen lamps in one and a half months. The lamps are sold in bulk or wholesale to traders.
The figures from the two clusters indicate the scale of a largely seasonal production network operating through household-based work and trader-led distribution. Instead of relying on a permanent retail infrastructure, artisans supply lamps in large quantities to wholesalers, who then move the products into the wider festive market.
For these families, Diwali is not only a religious festival but also a key economic period. Kamala Kanta Das of Hajo said the festival was an important source of income for traditional potter families and expressed hope that consumers would continue choosing locally made lamps.
The artisans are facing competition from inexpensive Chinese decorative products as well as terracotta lamps brought from Nabadwip in West Bengal. The competition places pressure on Assam’s pottery makers in a market where price, scale and distribution can determine which products reach consumers.
Paul said artisans in Asharikandi and Heerapara remained determined to retain their place in the festive market through traditional craftsmanship. Their production also sustains Assam’s terracotta and pottery heritage, linking seasonal consumer demand with the continuation of an established local craft economy.
The current production push will continue through the Diwali and Kali Puja period, when the clusters are expected to complete orders for bulk and wholesale buyers.
