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Dussehra festivities: Ravana effigy brings Hindu, Muslim artisans together in Ludhiana
A 20-member team from Agra, headed by 46-year-old Saira Banu, has been entrusted with preparing a 100-ft tall Ravana effigy to be burnt at the Daresi Dussehra ground in Ludhiana
Artisans from Agra have the market cornered in effigy making and are highly sought after ahead of Dussehra festivities, which typically include a theatrical re-enactment of Lord Rama’s life, culminating in burning effigies of the demon king Ravana along with his son, Meghnada, and brother, Kumbhkarana.
One such 20-member team from Agra, headed by 46-year-old Saira Banu, has been entrusted with preparing a 100-ft tall Ravana effigy to be burnt at the Daresi Dussehra ground on Friday. Of her 20-member team, 16 are Muslim workmen, and the rest are Hindus.
Promote communal harmony
Saira says she prepares the effigies to promote communal harmony and for the love of the art. Each year she gets orders for hundreds of effigies ahead of Dussehra, which she prepares with the help of workmen and her family, all of whom take leave of absence from their regular jobs to give her a hand.
“Most people, barring a few, appreciate us for promoting communal harmony. My family has been in the business for over three decades, and we have been preparing effigies for the Daresi Dussehra ground for 22 years,”says the mother of four.
Her eldest son, Imran Farooqui, a post graduate, is working with a private company in Noida as a software engineer, while her younger son, Sohail Khan is pursuing engineering at a college in Agra. Her elder daughter Asma is a government school teacher and lives in Lucknow, while her youngest daughter, Noreen Farooqui, is pursuing MBBS at Kota.
A family affair
Her husband, Azgar Ali, a diploma holder in civil engineering, left his government job to pursue his love for the art, which his forefathers had also excelled at.
Her children, despite earning handsome salaries, have learnt the art of their fathers, which has been passed down from generation to generation.
“We cannot part ourselves from this job, despite our stable financial condition, as it transcends communal differences and divisive political vendetta.”
Azgar Ali, who is preparing effigies with another team at Chandigarh and Panchkula says.”We have never asked our kids to help us, but they do it voluntarily.”
“I was a kid when I saw my father and the grandfather preparing effigies. Now, it is my passion and love. The last two years were disappointing as we only made one effigy for the Daresi ground due to the pandemic,” said Ali.
Hindu rituals followed
Her brother, Akeel, says Hindu traditions as well as Muslim traditions are followed before starting the work. “Along with Muslim prayers, we also follow Hindu rituals before making the effigies and even 10 minutes before the effigies are burned. The people love us, which is the most sacred thing for the team,” said Akeel.
Other than Ravana, the team has prepared 50-feet effigies of Khardushan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnath for the Daresi Ground this year. These artists also lend their services for other Ramlilas in the district, including those at Shiv Purin and Bharat Nagar Chowk.
