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After Alladin Ka Chirag, it seems that the magic lamp made by a Chhattisgarh-based potter is the most sought after right now.

Named Ashok Chakradhari, the humble man from Kondangaon village in Bastar district has become an overnight sensation with his unique Diyas or earthen lamps that will burn for at least 24 hours. What made this diya even more perfect is the timing at which Ashok uploaded a video of his product on his Facebook account. As Diwali is just a few days away, the lamp has hit just the right chords and become an instant hit.

magic diya ashok chakradhari — Ashok Chakradhari and his magic diya

The 62-year-old designed the Diya last year for the very first time after being inspired by video tutorials on Youtube.

“I have a knack for experimenting with new designs and just last year I found a video on Youtube which showed a lamp that carries a reservoir of oil over it and keeps refilling the base to ensure the diya does not stop burning. That’s how I picked up the idea,” Ashok told LifeBeyondNumbers.

The magic diya has three sections – the lamp, a dome-like structure that acts as a reservoir to hold the oil, and a tube to hold the reservoir over the lamp’s base. The tube is supported by the lamp’s wide base and has an opening and also has a handle. It holds the dome reservoir that pours oil into the diya. One has to fill the reservoir with oil which pours the fuel each time the diya has empty space. An air gap in the tube stops the pouring once the lamp is filled.

It took him five or six attempts to get the design right which he succeeded to complete within a week.

He has a family of five with three daughters, out of them, two are into studies and the third lends a hand in his ancestral pottery business.

“It was fascinating for me and my family to watch the lamp burn for straight one day,” Ashok exclaims.

Posted by Ashok Chakradhari on Saturday, October 24, 2020

The potter had undergone a lot of struggles to survive during the lockdown. Not a single customer appeared at his doorstep for the past few months yet he did not cease his work. He along with his daughter and team 0f 6-7 Kumhars who also comprise of widowed women kept on making earthen masterpieces waiting for someone to buy them.

Earlier he had sold the diya for Rs.200 last Diwali and this year’s Durga Puja in a quantity of one hundred on each occasion. Besides this, he makes a lot of earthen products that have good demand in the market. Since he posted the video of his lamp on Facebook, he has been receiving thousands of orders.

But the problem is earthen products are fragile and break easily. Also, Ashok lives in a pretty remote village which has restricted his access to resources and services. As a result, he is compelled to decline many orders.

“You see up until now people were buying from me in person. Most of them were local or from nearby villages and towns. Now the response has been huge but I am unable to fulfill most of the orders. Nevertheless, by God’s grace, I am getting a lot of customers and my hands are never idle for a single day,” Chakradhari said.

Ashok Chakradhari belongs to a family of potters. His house is situated in Kumhar Para in Kondangaon which houses around 200 people who make a living out of the earthen products. Ashok used to learn pottery from his father after school which gradually became his profession. He further sharpened his skills with training from Kapat Sanstha who came to the village to train the artisans. After that, he went to Maharashtra for a year to learn some more.

Chakradhari has been felicitated by the Handloom Ministry with a Merit citation for his skills. He is now a master trainer at Jhiktu Mitki Art Center in the village where he trains other artisans.

The Forest Department and an NGO have provided him with the necessary instruments and a mechanized kiln to ease his business. Yet Chakradhari looks at the larger picture and laments for the fate of potters like him.

“Chattisgarh is rich in handicrafts and pottery. Even when you look at my village, then it is a huge hub of potters. Yet not a single one of us has received a national award. I got the Merit Certificate somehow, but our crafts need more recognition,” opines Chakradhari.

Unlike the money-minded hawks, Chakradhari is a simple man and wishes to make his craft available for all to learn. He is already teaching a lot of artisans. With the recent fame, he wishes to upload his process of making the magic lamp on Youtube.

“I wish that my art is available to all. Every Kumhar has the right to learn what I know and for that, I will upload my video. I wish my fellow potters to earn well,” says the noble potter.

Citing his love for the craft he added, ”The soil is perhaps the greatest thing bestowed to humankind. From the lamps I make to the high rise buildings, everything has the earth imbibed in it. Someday, even all of us will merge in this very earth.”

Bastar is a highly sensitive zone for its history of Maoist upsurges and artists like Chakradhari are a sheer ray of hope and positivity. His noble heart and determined hands are an inspiration for those who go astray. They should try to get the taste of hard work like him.

For business inquiries, you may contact him at +91-9165185483.