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Thanjavur Potters Prepare for Karthigai Deepam, Hope for Better Sales After Last Year’s Rains

TIRUCHI, India – November 14, 2025 – Artisans in and around Thanjavur are diligently crafting clay lamps in anticipation of the Karthigai Deepam festival, scheduled for early December. They are hoping for a significant boost in sales after heavy unseasonable rains severely impacted business last year.

Arivalagan, a 20-year-old third-generation pottery artisan who assists his father in their family business, explained the importance of preparing ahead of the winter rains, so customers can buy the lamps in time for Karthigai Deepam. The region boasts around 1,000 families involved in the pottery industry.

The “agal vilakku,” or clay lamps, range in price from ₹3 to ₹100, depending on the design. Artisans traditionally use a mixture of clay, sand, and binding powder, which is manually kneaded and cured for several days. While hydraulic presses are used for mass production elsewhere, Thanjavur’s potters largely maintain manual processes. Mr. Arivalagan estimates his family can make 1,000 to 1,500 small lamps a day by hand. For Karthigai Deepam, they focus on crafting special “sara vilakku” (hanging lamps) and “thattu vilakku” (lamps embedded in terracotta plates).

However, the artisans face challenges, including rising costs of raw materials and the difficulty of finding affordable kilns to fire their lamps. They often wait until they have a large stock before firing, but the process can result in damage and unusable lamps.

Wholesale buyers have started arriving at the Keelavasal market to purchase directly from the artisans. Despite the festival being weeks away, Mr. Arivalagan expressed concern about a slow start to sales, citing unsold lamps from 2024 that remain in stock. The artisans hope for a prosperous Karthigai Deepam season, bringing light and livelihood to their community.

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