Vizag’s Vanishing Diwali Pottery: Last Generation of Potters Witness Tradition Fade

Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam’s traditional pottery craft, once central to Diwali celebrations, is on the threshold of fading, as younger generations of the community are moving away for better-paying jobs. Local markets in the city are increasingly depending on festive clay ware brought into Vizag from other states.

Traditional crackers like clay flower pots and festive items such as thatireku tapaasulu, chinchilla budlu, goda tapasulu, taaraajuvvalu, and mathabulu, once made in neighbourhood potters’ colonies, have almost disappeared. Markets now largely depend on supplies from Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Vijayawada, and Rajamahendravaram.

In Kummari Veedhi near Jagadamba, one of the city’s historic potter settlements, older residents recall how families spent weeks making earthen lamps, clay vessels, and casings for traditional firecrackers ahead of Diwali.

“My father-in-law and earlier generations used to make traditional chichubuddi and clay pots used for crackers. That craft vanished with their generation. Today, pottery itself does not provide enough income. Our children have taken up other occupations,” said V. Narasamma, a potter from Kummari Veedhi.

Potters say the time and effort required to learn the craft no longer match the income it generates.

“I myself would not encourage the younger generation to depend on pottery as a livelihood. It takes years to learn. But the income is uncertain. Education and other careers offer better opportunities for today's youth,” said S. Papa Rao, another artisan.

The decline of pottery craft is reflected in the changing Diwali market. S. Lakshmi, who sets up a seasonal stall every year, said she invests close to Rs 1 lakh in stocking festive clay articles, most of which are sourced from outside Andhra Pradesh.

“Some items are damaged during transportation, and many remain unsold. Customers bargain even for diyas sold at Rs 50 to Rs 60 a dozen. Earnings are very limited,” she said.

Senior citizen Bayya Mahadeva Sastry says the disappearance of local pottery reflects a wider change in the way Diwali is celebrated. Recalling old Visakhapatnam, he said Kummari Veedhi, opposite the present-day Daspalla Hotel, once became a busy festive marketplace ahead of Diwali. Potter families sold thousands of earthen lamps and made clay casings for traditional crackers known as matti chichubudlu.

“Diwali preparations would begin days in advance. Families made crackers at home, and children actively participated. Earthen lamps illuminated homes and streets, creating a festive atmosphere that is rarely seen today,” he recalled.

Mahadeva Sastry remembered the yerra matti dibbalu, or red sand dunes, which once stretched from RK Beach Junction towards Kirlampudi and provided raw material for potters. Much of this landscape has disappeared with urban expansion.

While Diwali celebrations continue on a larger commercial scale, decorative electric lighting, apartment living, and changing lifestyles have gradually replaced traditional clay lamps and crackers.