Downpour dampens Dussehra
New Delhi/Jaipur: The Ravana effigies, crafted with so much care, were set to go up in flames on Dussehra. But the skies opened up instead, leaving hundreds of artisans scrambling to salvage what they could and despairing over how they will ever recover their losses.
On Wednesday, a day before Dussehra and a day after a sudden downpour in many places in north India, craftpersons were busy trying to cut short their losses. Just two days ago, they were putting final touches to the brightly coloured demon heads and loading their ware onto trucks to be transported for the festive fireworks.
It was to have been a Happy Dussehra. But that is not to be. From Jaipur to New Delhi, that is the refrain.
Business was brisk and Mahendra Pal, a seasoned face at west Delhi’s bustling Titarpur Ravana effigy market, was looking forward to a Dussehra of plenty -- until the rain quite literally washed his happiness away.
“We wait all year and work day and night for over a month, but this rain has brought huge losses,” 75-year-old Pal, who has been in the business of making effigies for nearly 50 years, told news agency.
He had created more than 25 effigies ranging in size from five to 50 feet. Some were trucked out to clients but more than 10 still remained. Most of these, costing about Rs 400-700 per feet, are now damaged.
Except for the smaller ones that can be stored inside their makeshift homes, most effigies are lined up on roads
“Just like support is given during natural disasters, we urge the district magistrate, Delhi government, the chief minister, the Centre, and our local MLA and MP to treat this as a disaster and help us,” Pal said.
Titarpur, Asia’s largest market for the 10-headed demon king and his brothers, is miles away from Jaipur’s famed Ravana mandi on Rajasthan’s busy Gopalpura bypass.
The images are the same though - as is the sense of disbelief. Soaked and broken torsos, limbs, demon heads and intricately woven bamboo frames lie damaged and bent, crowding the dividers and pavements. Much of the paint has been washed away.
