28 September 2014

Ravana Today - Born to Burn.

While the effigies of Ravana, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad are made to be set afire, a great lot of creativity and a huge bit of effort goes into it. There is a lot of competition to make one to look better than the other...and there are a lot of orders to be delivered. Titarpur in west Delhi is the place where the work of making these effigies is concentrated, albeit, only for 3 months of the year. Take a look.

It all starts with the making of frames using bamboo, held together by wires and strings.
The frames are layered with with paper, old sarees and such material.

Heads...

Different parts of the effigy are then given a coat of colour.

While this beastly 'Ravan' is dummy enough to do any harm to this beauty, save her from those 'Ravans' roaming the streets in the form of beastly men difficult to identify.

The face is what lends a certain 'personality' to the effigy in which the moustache is the better part of differentiation...and the artists bring in their creative thoughts, the most over here.

Child labour and all that...on a rather surprising note this chap likes lending a hand to other family members in the seasonal business of making those effigies.

Adjusting for a great top view.


Twirly

Make up time.

The typical Ravan wala...muchhadd.









As the sun goes down, curious onlookers admiring the beauty of the effigies of Meghnad, Ravana and Kumbhkaran, one last time before they go blazing.

While burning the Ravana is a ritual carried on from ages...let it mean today to be a pledge to get rid of the evils plaguing our world.


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