Reshma Bheda’s house in Mattancherry is a spangle of colours; especially during the days running up to Deepavali. The diyas that she paints by hand would be ready to be dispatched to various companies and individuals who had ordered them. Reshma works on the diyas all year round, thinking up designs and prepping the diyas before painting them. 

She has over 1,25,000 diyas this year sourced from Gujarat and Maharashtra. Employed in a travel company in Ernakulam, Reshma says she divides her time between work and her passion. A mehndi artist, who also dabbles in candle making, Reshma started hand-painting diyas in 2017. She started in a small way, gifting them to neighbours and friends; but her passion soon grew into a business. Today, she undertakes corporate orders, retails through vendors and offers customisations for bulk orders. 

Designer diyas painted by Reshma Bheda | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

“I buy paints in large 20-litre tins; I sometimes use spray paints too,” Reshma says. Her designs, some traditional and some modern, are mostly inspired by her mother and grandmother (who lives in Gujarat) from whom she picked up this interest. Reshma paints terracotta ganeshas too. The diyas are reusable for various occasions and can be gifted as well. 

Diyas handpainted by Reshma Bheda | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Sustainability is at the heart of everything handmade, says Reema Singh, a ceramic artist based in Panampilly Nagar. Her brand Soil to Soul Ceramics has a Deepavali hamper which contains a ceramic diffuser with wax melts, maple-leaf shaped ceramic diyas and incense candles.

Maple-leaf ceramic diya by Reema Singh | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Reema decided to give her diyas a contemporary twist, shaping them as maple leaves, so that they could be used and reused for multiple occasions. They come in two shades — pastel pink and green. “Ceramic art is a time consuming process — it involves firing, glazing and you even spend a lot of time cleaning up. Pottery in general takes practice and patience. It is a labour of love and that is the beauty of anything handmade,” she adds.  

The Deepavali hamper from Soil to Soul Ceramics | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Maria Kuriakose says her homegrown brand Thenga Coco’s range of handmade coconut shell candle diyas are in demand for Deepavali. While the brand sold 12,000 coconut candle diyas last year, orders have gone up to over 20,000 this year, says Maria. The entirely handmade soy wax candle diyas this year come with added elements such as spices, rose petals, orange slices and peppercorns. Some of them are scented with essential oils too.

Orange and pepper coconut shell diya candle by Thenga Coco | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The spice coconut shell candle diya by Thenga Coco | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

These handcrafted upcycled coconut shell diyas come as individual pieces and as hampers, says Maria. Started in 2019, the Palakkad based brand repurposes coconut waste into lasting handmade products. “The coconuts are sourced from oil mills and they are worked on by hand; since coconuts come in different sizes, it is difficult to automate the process,” says Maria. A women-led brand, Thenga has transformed over 50,000 coconut shells that would otherwise have gone to waste into pretty and useful products. 

Hema Hitesh Mavani’s oil-painted diyas | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Mattancherry-based Hema Hitesh Mavani has been hand-painting diyas for the past 28 years. She says she paints traditional designs such as the swastik, flowers and modern patterns on the diyas. “These days, terracotta diyas have taken over. They are more popular. For Deepavali, traditionally, mitti (clay) diyas are used,” she says. She sources plain clay diyas from Maharashtra and paints them two-to-three months ahead of Deepavali. “I use oil paints as they last longer and are washable too,” she adds. She never runs out of designs, she says. She adds embellishments too such as pearls and beads to make them appear festive. “Holding a mitti diya in my hand and painting is a therapeutic process; it is like creating a new piece of art.”