Potters work overtime as orders for clay lamps pour in for Deepavali and Karthigai Deepam

Potters' families on the outskirts of Rasipuram are working from dawn to dusk to meet orders for terracotta agal lamps ahead of Deepavali and Karthigai Deepam. Each family unit is producing 3,000 to 5,000 lamps a day, which are dried in the sun for two days before firing in the kiln. Plain lamps are selling at ₹1.50 to ₹3 each in wholesale, while designer lamps with multiple wicks, mango-leaf patterns and painted finishes fetch ₹15 to ₹60. Traders from Salem, Namakkal and Erode are placing bulk orders. Potters said the dry spell of recent weeks helped production, but they are watching the northeast monsoon closely, as heavy rain can slow drying. Many have covered their yards with tarpaulin sheds as a precaution. Residents can buy directly from the potters' yards or from stalls near the weekly market, which will stay open late until Karthigai Deepam.