A buyer carrying two effigies for his neighbourhood in East Delhi.
New Delhi:
North West Delhi’s Najafgarh Road is lined up with bamboo frames of the effigies of demon king Ravana, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad, waiting to be dressed up with colourful paper.
Colorful heads of the mythological demon kings awaiting final touches.
The craftsmen, who come in large numbers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, create about 5,000 effigies. These effigies will be transported to the Ramlila venues in Delhi and surrounding areas to be burned on Dussehra.
Traffic moves past the effigies lined up along Najafgarh Road in West Delhi.
Dussehra symbolises the triumph of good over evil and is alternatively referred to as Dasara, Dashain, and Navratri Puja in different regions. It is going to be celebrated across the country on October 24 this year.
A group of school boys walk past a large effigy of Meghnad, son of demon king Ravana.
The ban on firecrackers has not affected the effigy market as craftsmen do not put crackers in the effigies.
A mother helps her child get inside an effigy.
Ajay Kumar, who has inherited the art of effigy making, says that he makes smaller effigies from 3 to 5 feet as he can prepare and store them inside his house to protect them from unpredictable weather conditions.
Workers busy covering up large effigies.
The artists crafting the effigies are in high-spirits because of a record number of advance orders after a low of almost six years.
Ajay Kumar’s house is filled with smaller and colorful effigies.
While Sonu Kumar, who makes large effigies, says he uses paper that is glazed and water-proof.
Preparation begins two months ahead of the festival, and deliveries begin two days before Dussehra.
Sonu Kumar pasting glazed paper, which is water proof on the effigies.
