30K cow dung diyas to light up Kashi ghats on Dev Deepawali
Yogi Adityanath's initiatives empower women in UP, as Varanasi's self-help groups craft cow dung diyas, boosting incomes and securing pre-orders for Dev Deepawali.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has launched several initiatives to empower women in Uttar Pradesh. One such example is the success story of women in Varanasi who are producing cow dung diyas for Dev Deepawali.
For Dev Deepawali, extensive preparations are underway to illuminate Varanasi’s ghats with millions of diyas. What makes this unique is that many of these diyas are crafted from cow dung by women from self-help groups.
Currently, 25 families from seven self-help groups are focused on producing 30,000 such diyas. Previously, these women would earn around ₹400-500 for Dev Deepawali, but now, through this initiative, they are making ₹4,000-5,000.
The women now receive large orders in advance, a shift from earlier days when they had to sell earthen lamps door-to-door.
Radhika from Aharak village said that she no longer has to go door-to-door and instead secures pre-orders, significantly boosting her income. This newfound self-reliance is not only uplifting these women but also benefiting their families directly.
Through the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission, the Yogi government has created new pathways for women’s employment and empowerment.
On November 15, Dev Deepawali celebrations in Kashi will light up the ghats with 1.2 million diyas, including those crafted from cow dung.
