Handmade and painted by hand diyas for Deepavali

Deepavali lamps
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Reshma Bheda’s home in Mattancherry is a spangle of colors; particularly through the days working as much as Deepavali. The diyas that she paints by hand could be able to be dispatched to numerous firms and people who had ordered them. Reshma works on the diyas all yr spherical, considering up designs and prepping the diyas earlier than portray them. 

She has over 1,25,000 diyas this yr sourced from Gujarat and Maharashtra. Employed in a journey firm in Ernakulam, Reshma says she divides her time between work and her ardour. A mehndi artist, who additionally dabbles in candle making, Reshma began hand-painting diyas in 2017. She began in a small manner, gifting them to neighbours and mates; however her ardour quickly grew right into a enterprise. Immediately, she undertakes company orders, retails by distributors and affords customisations for bulk orders. 

Designer diyas painted by Reshma Bheda
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“I purchase paints in giant 20-litre tins; I generally use spray paints too,” Reshma says. Her designs, some conventional and a few trendy, are principally impressed by her mom and grandmother (who lives in Gujarat) from whom she picked up this curiosity. Reshma paints terracotta ganeshas too. The diyas are reusable for varied events and might be gifted as properly. 

Diyas handpainted by Reshma Bheda
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Sustainability is on the coronary heart of all the pieces handmade, says Reema Singh, a ceramic artist primarily based in Panampilly Nagar. Her model Soil to Soul Ceramics has a Deepavali hamper which incorporates a ceramic diffuser with wax melts, maple-leaf formed ceramic diyas and incense candles.

Maple-leaf ceramic diya by Reema Singh
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Reema determined to provide her diyas a up to date twist, shaping them as maple leaves, in order that they may very well be used and reused for a number of events. They arrive in two shades — pastel pink and inexperienced. “Ceramic artwork is a time consuming course of — it includes firing, glazing and also you even spend numerous time cleansing up. Pottery basically takes follow and endurance. It’s a labour of affection and that’s the great thing about something handmade,” she provides.  

The Deepavali hamper from Soil to Soul Ceramics
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Maria Kuriakose says her homegrown model Thenga Coco’s vary of handmade coconut shell candle diyas are in demand for Deepavali. Whereas the model bought 12,000 coconut candle diyas final yr, orders have gone as much as over 20,000 this yr, says Maria. The completely handmade soy wax candle diyas this yr include added parts reminiscent of spices, rose petals, orange slices and peppercorns. A few of them are scented with important oils too.

Orange and pepper coconut shell diya candle by Thenga Coco
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The spice coconut shell candle diya by Thenga Coco
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These handcrafted upcycled coconut shell diyas come as particular person items and as hampers, says Maria. Began in 2019, the Palakkad primarily based model repurposes coconut waste into lasting handmade merchandise. “The coconuts are sourced from oil mills and they’re labored on by hand; since coconuts come in several sizes, it’s tough to automate the method,” says Maria. A women-led model, Thenga has reworked over 50,000 coconut shells that may in any other case have gone to waste into fairly and helpful merchandise. 

Hema Hitesh Mavani’s oil-painted diyas
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Mattancherry-based Hema Hitesh Mavani has been hand-painting diyas for the previous 28 years. She says she paints conventional designs such because the swastik, flowers and trendy patterns on the diyas. “As of late, terracotta diyas have taken over. They’re extra standard. For Deepavali, historically, mitti (clay) diyas are used,” she says. She sources plain clay diyas from Maharashtra and paints them two-to-three months forward of Deepavali. “I take advantage of oil paints as they last more and are washable too,” she provides. She by no means runs out of designs, she says. She provides elaborations too reminiscent of pearls and beads to make them seem festive. “Holding a mitti diya in my hand and portray is a therapeutic course of; it’s like creating a brand new piece of artwork.”