Stalls in silk city sell eco-friendly diyas

Berhampur: Ahead of Diwali, theGanjam administration opened stalls in silk city on Friday to sell handmade terracotta diyas made by women self-help groups.Two outlets, supported by Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) and Mission Shakti, were inaugurated by Berhampur MLA K Anil Kumar, along with Berhampur sub-collector, Avinash Kumar and several officers.Berhampur Municipal Corporation provided space to producers from Dimiria village in Ganjam district’s Khallikote block and Paridhan, a producers’ company, to sell diyas and household items for five days. “We appeal to the people to celebrate the Diwali in an eco-friendly manner by using the diyas made by the Mission Shakti members,” said the MLA.ORMAS deputy chief executive, Raj Gopal Dash, said, “Earlier, members of the producers’ group made earthen pots and sold them in different exhibitions of ORMAS.

We encouraged them to prepare the hand-made terracotta diyas for Diwali.”The stalls also feature hill brooms, castor oil and various sweets made by Mission Shakti members.Sudashna Muduli, from the producers’ group, said they began diya production two months ago. The women make diyas during their free time after completing household chores. “While diyas are usually made from soil extracted from pond with a mixture of sand, decorated diyas are made from hard clay,” she said.