DLTK's Countries and Cultures - India
Diwali Diyas (candles)

Sunita, one of our viewers, writes:  The Indian New Year is Diwali and we celebrate good over evil by lighting rows of lamps or 'diyas'.  Thanks Sunita!

A Diwali Diya is a small lamp that is lit especially at Diwali (New Year's in India).  Diyas are typically made of clay with Ghee or oil used as the fuel and cotton wool as the wick.

Materials:

• Clay
• Acrylic paint
• tealight candle

Instructions:

Choose and prepare one of the clay recipes (or use store bought clay such as Sculpey clay).  All of the recipes work fine and depend on the ingredients you have on hand.  I prefer the last version

• Air Dry Clay
• Air Dry Clay #2
   
• Air Dry or Bake Clay
• Air Dry or Bake Clay #2  -- dries whiter than the previous version, but requires cooking

Show the children the tealight candle and remind them that their pot must be large enough for the candle to fit inside.

Form the clay into a Diya using one of two methods (option 1 is easier than option 2):

Option 1:  Pinch Pot method

• Roll the clay into a ball
• Stick thumbs into the center of the ball, pinching the sides to make a hollow (you're making a bowl shape, not a donut)
  • It should not be too deep (the flame of the candle should stick up over the top of the diya
• Flatten out the bottom of the ball to make a nice flat surface for the Diya (so it will sit sturdily on a table without risk of it falling).
• Let air dry or bake dry depending on the type of clay you are using.
• Use acrylic paint to decorate the pot however you like.  Some inspiration:
  • The colors of India's flag are green and deep orange
  • typically, Diyas were earthen pots so any brown, orange, yellow colors would be appropriate
• Let dry.
• Add tealight candle which you can actually light (make sure the flame doesn't touch the edges of the pot)

Option 2:  Coil Pot method

• Make a flat "pancake" of clay that's larger in diameter than the tealight candle.  This will be the bottom of your diya.
• Roll remaining clay into long snakes.
• Coil the snakes around the pancake of clay, building up the pot as you go.
• You'll need to squeeze the snakes onto the pancake and onto each other a bit so they stay together when the project dries.
   
  
• Let air dry or bake dry depending on the type of clay you are using.
• Use acrylic paint to decorate the pot however you like.  Some inspiration:
   
  • The colors of India's flag are green and deep orange
  • typically, Diyas were earthen pots so any brown, orange, yellow colors would be appropriate
• Let dry.
• Add tealight candle which you can actually light (make sure the flame doesn't touch the edges of the pot)

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