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Visakhapatnam
Carrying on the family tradition
An earthen lamp in the making.
His frail frame and old age do not deter him from turning the wheel for a living. He has converted the front room of his abode into a workshop. His dexterity is to be seen to be believed. Meet, S. Appalaraju, the potter, who been in his profession for over six decades now.
He studied up to Std. III and was even offered the job of a khalasi in the Railways but he, like his brothers, preferred to continue the family tradition. "In those days, a khalasi in the Railways used to be paid Rs.13 per day. I used to earn about Rs.25 selling earthen ware," he recalls.
The use of electric bulbs and candles has not resulted in a decline in the sales of diyas. The population of the city has grown by leaps and bounds and there is no dearth of buyers. Further, there is also the tradition that each household has to burn at least 1 kg. of oil on Deepavali which many families still follow. Electric bulbs cannot be a substitute for earthen lamps, he says.
Making diyas and pots is no easy task. A lorry load of clay costs Rs.1,300. Sand and casuarina poles have also to be bought. The sand is mixed in clay for making earthen ware and the wood is required for baking them. Despite all this, he manages to earn about Rs.20 a day. His brother's son, who had done his fitter trade in ITI, failed to get a job. He is now buying pots from the rural areas and selling them in the city. He earns around Rs.30 a day. "There is more hardship and less returns in our business," he bemoans.
B.M.G.
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Thiruvananthapuram
Visakhapatnam
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