Tihar’s electric glow threatens Bhaktapur’s clay-lamp tradition

Clay oil lamps are small traditional lamps made from baked clay. They hold oil and are lit during Tihar, the festival when families decorate their homes with festive lights. Their handmade form connects household celebrations with Bhaktapur’s pottery tradition.

The lamps are part of a wider festive decoration custom. For generations, Prajapati potters made them in large numbers before Tihar. Sajan Prajapati says about 100 families once worked to meet orders, often working day and night. This shows how closely the lamps were tied to both the festival and local livelihoods.

Their role is now under pressure. Electric lights from India and other countries are widely available, and many households prefer them for Tihar decorations. As fewer people buy clay lamps, the craft that produces these traditional lights may become harder to sustain.

Demand for Bhaktapur’s traditional clay lamps has dropped significantly in recent years. Potters who once worked day and night before Tihar now sell fewer lamps. This matters because lamp-making is not only seasonal work; it is also a generations-old occupation for the Prajapati community.

Sajan Prajapati describes the change clearly. Around 10 years ago, about 100 families made clay lamps, and they struggled to keep up with orders. Today, potters report weaker sales. The key mechanism is competition from electric lights, including products from India and other countries, which have become more widely available.

The decline is creating uncertainty. Some potters are considering switching to other occupations because fewer customers are buying their lamps. If the trend continues, families may lose income, and the traditional skill of making clay oil lamps could disappear with the current generation.

About 100 families in Bhaktapur were involved in making clay lamps around 10 years ago. They were so busy before Tihar that they struggled to keep up with orders. That figure shows the craft once supported a broad network of households in the Prajapati community.

The situation today is weaker. The article does not give a current family count, but potters say demand and sales have fallen significantly. Electric lights from India and other countries are now more widely available. As customers choose those decorations, fewer families may be able to depend on clay-lamp production.

The comparison points to more than a commercial decline. Some potters are considering switching occupations, while Sajan Prajapati fears the clay-lamp tradition could disappear with his generation. The article therefore presents a past of high demand and a present marked by uncertainty.

Electric lights are becoming more popular during Tihar because they are now widely available from India and other countries. The article connects this wider availability with a growing preference for electric decorations. As households change how they decorate, traditional clay lamps face stronger competition.

This shift affects potters directly. Around 10 years ago, about 100 families made clay lamps and struggled to meet orders. Now, customers are buying fewer lamps. The key mechanism is simple: when electric lights take a larger place in Tihar celebrations, fewer households purchase the handmade oil lamps that Prajapati potters produce.

The change is also cultural, not only commercial. Potters say festive traditions are changing, with electric decorations increasingly preferred over clay lamps. Unless demand recovers, the trade may become less viable. Some potters may seek other work, and the generations-old lamp-making tradition could be lost.

The Prajapati potters are a community of traditional clay-lamp makers from Bhaktapur. Their pottery work has continued across generations and includes making the oil lamps used during Tihar. This makes the craft part of the community’s heritage, not simply a short-term business.

Sajan Prajapati has continued his family’s pottery business for 20 years. He recalls that around 100 families once made clay lamps and struggled to meet festival orders. Their intense seasonal work shows how pottery connected family labor, local skills, and Tihar celebrations.

That heritage is now vulnerable because demand has fallen. Electric lights from India and other countries have become more available, while customers increasingly prefer them. If sales continue to weaken, pottery may provide less reliable income. The community could then lose both livelihoods and a craft that potters fear may disappear with their generation.

Continued sales declines could threaten both the potters’ incomes and the future of clay-lamp making. The Prajapati community depends on a generations-old pottery trade, especially around Tihar. When fewer customers buy lamps, the work becomes harder to sustain as a family occupation.

The article gives a direct warning from Sajan Prajapati, who has continued his family business for 20 years. He says demand was much stronger 10 years ago, when about 100 families made lamps and struggled with orders. Now, some potters are considering switching to other occupations because electric lights have reduced demand.

The wider consequence could be cultural loss. Sajan fears the tradition may disappear with his generation. If electric decorations continue replacing clay lamps, fewer young family members may continue the craft. The result could be reduced livelihoods today and the disappearance of a distinctive ancestral skill tomorrow.

Consumer technology can reshape festival customs by offering new ways to decorate homes. During Tihar, electric lights have become more widely available, including products from India and other countries. As households increasingly prefer electric decorations, traditional clay oil lamps receive less attention and fewer purchases.

The effect travels through the local economy. About 10 years ago, around 100 families in Bhaktapur made clay lamps and struggled to fill orders. With demand now falling, potters sell less and some are considering other occupations. A change in consumer choice therefore affects both income and the survival of a skilled craft.

Traditional occupations can weaken when the customs supporting them change. The Prajapati potters say their generations-old work is at risk, and Sajan Prajapati fears it could disappear with his generation. The story shows how technology can bring new festive habits while eroding older ones.