We are incredibly grateful to Shaheda, a bereaved mum and ceramic artist with more than ten years experience, whose craftmanship, dedication and lived experience are at the heart of The Enduring Light. Shaheda brings not only her artistic skill to this project, but also a deep understanding of the enduring love parents continue to carry for their babies.
We are also grateful to our support group of bereaved parents, whose thoughtful feedback helped refined the final designs, ensuring they reflected the experiences, hopes and needs of bereaved families.
Creating The Enduring Light Diyas
For Shaheda, this project is far more than creating a ceramic keepsake. It is an opportunity to help other families honour and remember their babies through a meaningful act of remembrance rooted in light, love and connection.
Shaheda has created two unique diyas: a traditional diya and a heart-shaped diya. The traditional design honours the timeless heritage of the diya, whilst the heart-shaped design was created especially for The Enduring Light campaign following conversations between Shaheda and Madhuri Bedi, Sands' Outreach Coordinator for South Asian communities. Having worked closely together since the beginning of the project, they shared a vision of creating remembrance pieces that reflect the enduring love between parents and their babies.
Both diyas feature the thoughtful addition of a plate beneath the candle that acts as a stable and dedicated space for families to place petals, flowers, or any other meaningful items.
Both designs can be used in the traditional way with a cotton wick and oil or ghee (clarified butter). They can also be used with a tea light or filled with melted candle wax to create your own candle.
A discreet, centrally positioned holder has also been incorporated into the design for an incense stick (agarbatti), allowing it to burn safely whilst gently containing any falling ash.
Read Shaheda's story and the journey she's been on to create these beautiful handcrafted diyas.
The diya making process
The journey of every diya begins with a piece of locally sourced terracotta clay, carefully weighed and shaped by hand on the potter's wheel. Once formed, every diya is refined and finished entirely by hand before being left to dry naturally. This slow drying process takes at least 2-3 weeks and cannot be rushed, allowing the clay to dry evenly before the next stage of the journey.
Each diya is then kiln fired slowly for 24 hours, carefully finished and sealed with a non-toxic sealant to help protect it, ensuring it remains durable for years of remembrance. The heart-shaped diya also receives additional hand finishing to create its distinctive form.
Just is everyone’s experience of pregnancy or baby loss, no two diyas are exactly alike. Small variations in shape, texture and finish are part of the beauty of handmade ceramics and make each piece unique. Through her hands, care and craftsmanship, each remembrance diya becomes more than a ceramic piece. It becomes a symbol of love, remembrance and the lasting bond between a family and their baby.
