Diwali is one of India’s biggest and most important festivals of the year. The festival gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa/diya) that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects us from spiritual darkness.
More recently, Chinese-made lights and crackers have flooded into the markets and their sale is growing at alarming rate. No doubt, the Chinese lights are cheap, colourful and bright and are available in variety of styles and designs. However, they drain our local economy. Diwali is the time when our local potters, craftsmen and artisans make living out of lamps and diyas. During this period, they look forward to earn a bit more. Chinese items have snatched their livelihood.
To create awareness towards this cause, Kolkata’s Singing Sensation Soumita Saha has started an initiative. Through various campaigns, social media posts, Soumita has been making her fans and followers aware about this. The Songbird runs this awareness campaign, which is an unique attempt to revive the traditional art of clay lamps alive.
