Walk into any Diwali market — online or in your local bazaar — and you'll find "diya" used for at least three completely different objects: a small clay oil lamp, a decorative brass or copper piece, and a paper-and-bamboo lantern that hangs outside the door. They don't do the same job, they're not cared for the same way, and buying the wrong one for what you actually want to do (light a wick versus decorate a balcony) is a common, avoidable disappointment. Here's what each one actually is, made by which artisan clusters on UmedMart, and how to look after it once Diwali is over.
Terracotta (clay) diyas — the ones you actually light
These are the real oil lamps: hand-shaped from natural soil, low-fired, unglazed or lightly glazed, and meant to hold oil and a cotton wick. On UmedMart they come from a few different artisan clusters:
- Ganapati Panti Clay Diya and Badak Panti (duck-shaped) Clay Diya — ₹204 each, made by SADGURU SHG artisans in Kolhapur.
- Half Cut Jhakni Kandil — ₹228, a terracotta hanging lamp, also from the Kolhapur SADGURU SHG.
- Payali Deep (₹168), Ganesh Lamp (₹216), Fish Lamp (₹264) and Kalash Lamp (₹384) — all shaped terracotta lamps by PM Vishwakarma artisans in Wardha, each cast in a distinct traditional form (fish, kalash, Ganesh motif).
- Ganesh Diya (Clay Lamp) — ₹228, from Yashaswini Mahila PG in Sindhudurg taluka.
These sit within the wider Handmade Pottery collection alongside matkas, cooking pots and other terracotta pieces. Because a few are sold under a continue-selling inventory policy, a couple show 0 units in the storefront's inventory counter even though they're fully orderable — that's a quirk of this store's stock setup, not a sign the diya is discontinued.
Before you light one for the first time: soak a brand-new clay diya in plain water for a few hours (or overnight), then let it dry completely. Unfired or lightly-fired clay is porous, so this lets it absorb some moisture upfront rather than soaking up your lamp oil and going soft over the evening. We cover this same soak-and-dry step in more depth in our clay pot and matka seasoning guide — it's the same terracotta, just a different shape. For the actual lighting: a cotton wick and any lamp oil (til/sesame or mustard oil are the traditional choices) works fine; avoid filling right to the rim so the oil doesn't spill over when you place it down.
Copper diyas — the ones that last for years
Copper diyas are a different category altogether: metal, reusable Diwali after Diwali, and usually bought as a slightly more permanent piece rather than something you light once and set aside. UmedMart's copper diyas are all meena work (hand-painted enamel detailing) from Pragati Mahila SHG in Jalgaon — browse the full range in the Copper Meena Work Diyas collection, across two size lines:
- Small (₹249), Medium (₹268), Large (₹914) — the "Copper Diya Decor" line.
- Size 1 (₹329), Size 2 (₹348), Size 3 (₹649) — the "Copper Meena Work Diya" line, slightly different profile from the Decor line above.
The larger, more heavily worked pieces cost more mainly because of the metal weight and the amount of hand-painted meena detail, not because they're a different material.
Care after Diwali: copper tarnishes with air and use — that's normal, not damage. A simple lemon-and-salt or tamarind rub, rinsed off and dried well, brings the shine back; avoid harsh chemical brass/copper cleaners on the meena-painted areas since they can dull or strip the enamel work. Store it dry, and it'll outlast several festival seasons.
Akash kandils — the ones you hang, not light
An akash kandil ("sky lantern") is a different object again: a hollow decorative lantern, usually with a bulb or small light placed inside rather than an open flame, hung outside the main door or on a balcony as a Diwali marker rather than used for puja. UmedMart's kandils come in different materials depending on the SHG making them:
- Bamboo Akash Kandil — ₹1,007, by Ujjwala SHG in Amravati, a woven bamboo frame.
- Woolen Akash Kandil — ₹708, by Vaishnavi SHG in Jalna.
- Micron Sky Lantern (200gm) — ₹420, by Mahalakshmi Mahila Swayansahayyata Samuh in Solapur.
If what you actually want is the classic star-shaped or ornamental lantern that goes up outside the house for the festival, this is the category to shop, not the diya listings — an akash kandil isn't built to hold oil or an open flame the way a terracotta or copper diya is.
Quick way to decide
If you're doing a puja and want to actually light a lamp, pick terracotta (cheaper, traditional, one final soak-and-dry before first use) or copper (costs more upfront, reusable for years, needs occasional polishing). If you want the festive marker that hangs outside your door, that's an akash kandil, not a diya at all — pick the material (bamboo, wool, or the lighter micron-fabric style) based on how sturdy you want it and your budget.
Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) falls on 8 November 2026 — worth keeping in mind if you're ordering ahead, since handmade pieces from smaller SHG batches can take a little longer to dispatch than factory-made décor.
Every product above is made by a women's self-help group somewhere in Maharashtra — Kolhapur, Wardha, Sindhudurg, Jalgaon, Amravati, Jalna and Solapur between them — which is really the whole point of buying handmade this Diwali: the price you pay reaches an actual artisan cluster, not a factory margin.
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