Getting ready for ‘Ok Tata Bye-Bye’ to Ravana

Welcome to west Delhi’s Titarpur locality where Ravanas stand tall — literally — their height ranging from five feet to 50 feet, many ready to be dispatched, others waiting for the glossy covering on their made-to-order bamboo bodies. It’s not just Ravana. 

The stretch between Tagore Garden and Subash Nagar is where the triumvirate of Ravana, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad are fashioned and parcelled across the country to be burnt to cinders on Dussehra. 

“Ravana is always in demand,” said Satish Kumar from Subhash and Kaushal Ravanwale, one of the several makeshift shops that come up at this time of the year. 

 “Ours is the biggest market in India to buy Ravana effigies. People come from other states to buy effigies from us for the Dusshera celebration,” added Rustam Gehlot, busy pasting a smile on the demon king’s face with coloured tape.

With Dussehra on Saturday, the effigy makers are busy giving final touches to several customised Ravanas. Some want a six pack body for the demon king with 10 heads, some want “hero-like biceps” and almost all want a broad chest, something like “Baahubali”, after the protagonist of the epic fantasy film. 

The price of an effigy can range from Rs 600 to Rs 50,000. 

Interestingly, moustaches on many of the Ravanas have something written on them — right from potboilers like “Don No 1” to classics like “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron”. And one even said, “Ok Tata Bye-Bye”.

The work starts a day or two after Raksha Bandhan, which usually falls about two months before Dussehra.

“It becomes tiring. You know for the past few days I have only got two hours of sleep in the whole day,” said Ranjeet, whose last name is Ravanawale.

Ranjeet has sold one 50-ft Ravana for Rs 31,000 to a customer in Mumbai, and sent his workers along to make sure it is assembled properly.

“There are different parts such as face, neck, body, legs and so on. These parts are sent separately and then assembled there. There have been several hiccups this year. The rains last week ruined a lot of the work. An encroachment drive by the civic authorities also damaged some of the effigy making material, and in some cases the completed effigies. But the artisans have learnt to move on and are hopeful that they will make their money this festive season like they have in past years. “Ram ji sambhal lenge! (God will take care of us),” said Satish confidently.