Lucknow: This Diwali, various prisons in Uttar Pradesh are set for unique celebrations, showcasing traditional and handcraft items created by inmates for the festival.
In district jails like Unnao, Agra, Mathura and Barabanki, inmates have crafted eco-friendly earthen lamps from cow dung, promoting environmentally sustainable options. In Ghaziabad, inmates are producing clay and electric lamps, candles and garlands for prison use and as gifts, while in Aligarh, women inmates are preparing intricately designed clay lamps. Terracotta lamps are being made in Gorakhpur, where it will be used for illuminating prison spaces and sold at stalls near prison gates. Approximately 10,000 lamps made by inmates of Ayodhya district jail will be gifted to nearby temples. In Hardoi, inmates are making around 11,000 earthen pots and piggy banks. Similarly, Rae Bareli district jail has produced earthen items like lamps, Ganesh-Lakshmi idols and pots under the ‘One Jail, One Product' initiative, with these products being displayed and sold at prison sales centres.
Inmates of Fatehgarh jail have created candles and designer lamps, available for sale at prison product centres. Mathura jail inmates are producing candles and lamps from cow dung, while inmates of Kanpur Nagar jail are crafting deity mats and prayer clothes for Diwali worship on a job-work basis. Besides, inmates in Deoria district jail, trained under the skill development mission, have crafted electric garlands to adorn the prison. In Kannauj, inmates have produced 960 electric garlands that are popular in the market, alongside candles and lamps prepared for local sale.