Kashmiri Muslim family prepares thousands of Diwali diyas for the Hindu festival

While the whole country is illuminated by millions of 'diyas' (clay lamps) on the festival of Diwali, thousands of them are made by a Kashmiri Muslim family. For weeks, the Kumar family in Srinagar has been making Diwali diyasand has already dispatched over 20 thousand so far.

With the Diwali festival around the corner, the Kashmiri Muslim potter family has been working day and night to make Diwali clay lamps as orders are pouring in from across the country. Over 20000 clay lamps have been made and dispatched so far and they are still getting fresh orders every day. Omar Kumar and his whole family have been in the business of pottery for decades and have been responsible for reviving and preserving the art of pottery in Kashmir.

''We started making Diwali diyas last year, and we got a huge response. This year, we have already made around 20000 Diwali Diya's and we are still getting fresh orders. We are getting orders from Jammu and other parts and states of the country. We have sent them to Kulgam where we have a distributor who sends it across India. We can't differentiate between Hindus and Muslims, we all live together happily, and we also buy things from other communities when it's our festival. This year we had a great response from locals too,'' said Omar Kumar, the potter.

Omar has distributed hundreds of Diwali lamps for free within the Hindu community in his locality. Omar says that buying local is how the young entrepreneurs in the country can be helped. After receiving the order, he believes it's a push to the 'Make in India' concept.

Omar has not only become a great example of brotherhood within the communities but has also helped in saving and preserving the art of pottery. Omar has also introduced new techniques and designs in the art form.