Kathmandu, October 16
Nepal’s second-largest festival, Tihar, is approaching. With the rising demand for paala (clay oil lamps) needed for the festival, the Kumale (potter) community of Bhaktapur is currently busy making and preparing them to send to the market.
As the festival of lights, Deepawali is near, members of the Prajapati community of Bhaktapur and Madhyapur Thimi, as well as residents involved in pottery, have become fully occupied with the work of paala
However, they say that this year they have not been able to produce enough paala to meet the demand. While during normal times they may not even sell two dozen lamps a day, businesspeople say that during Tihar, a single person can sell more than one thousand pieces of paala. This year, they have been unable to meet such high demand.
According to the potters, the main problem has been the shortage of clay.
Sumitra Prajapati said that due to rapid urban planning and development everywhere, the pottery profession, including paala making, is now in crisis. She lamented that not only is there a shortage of suitable clay, but also a lack of proper space for firing the pots.
Paala made in Bhaktapur are well-known among residents both inside and outside the Kathmandu Valley. Because of their authentic quality, people from districts such as Kavre, Sindhupalchok, Pokhara, and Dharan, among others, come all the way to Bhaktapur to buy them.
