Navratri 2026 | Crafting the Demon King: Ravana maxing in Delhi ahead of Dussehra

Artists across Delhi are busy creating Ravana effigies with an eye for detail and a flair for grandeur, ahead of Dussehra on October 20.

Ravana effigy featuring synthetic hair created by artist Sonu Kumar for a client based in Australia.

Ravana ki moochh oochi

In West Delhi’s Titarpur, Sonu Kumar, who spends most of the year manning his tandoor business, switches to making Ravana effigies during the two months leading up to Dussehra. For him, the details, such as Ravana’s moustache matter as much as the towering frame. “Moochh face ke hisaab se banti hai. Jitna bada face, utni badi moochh, kyunki usko utna hi support chahiye hota hai surface se, adding, “Kuchh log aajkal moochh pe silver paint se design banate hai par mujhe simple moochh pasand hai, taaki woh achhe se dikhe. Ravan ke chehre par moochh uske ghamand wala expression dikhati hai, aur plain mein woh zyada achhe se ubhar kar aata hai,” says Sonu. His craft is not limited to Delhi as he has also been sending Ravana effigies to a buyer in Australia, too! “It’s been 3-4 years now... Main unn Ravana mein synthetic hair wali moochh rakhta hoon, jo Dilli mein shayad hi koi banata hai,” he adds, informing how it takes him three times more material and time, nearly a month, in order to create effigies for countries abroad.

Content Creator Shaurya Tanwar, a Delhi University student has made a bodybuilder Ravana effigy, inspired by his own fitness journey and the growing fitness culture among the current gen.

When Ravana hits the gym!

While traditional effigies remain popular, bodybuilder-themed Ravana effigies are emerging as a hit among Delhiites, especially in Tagore Garden. Making such unique effigies is a Shaurya Tanwar, a first-year student of Delhi University’s Motilal Nehru College, who creates the DIY effigy structures at home with his father while juggling education, gym sessions and content creation. He has given the demon king a muscular makeover this year. “Normal Ravana toh har koi banata hai, yeh wala abhi latest hai since of late youngsters are heavily into fitness and I’m myself fitness content creator,” says Tanwar, who has been pursuing the craft since he was in Class X.

The extra muscles comes with extra labour. “Maine pehli baar 20-ft ka Ravana banaya hai. Jahan regular structure ke liye two bamboo poles lagte hai, for a bodybuilder Ravana of the same height it takes a minimum of five poles and costs around ₹5,000,” informs Shaurya.

How to make newspaper Ravana effigy at home?

Posting tutorials on YouTube since 2024, his videos have not only earned him a silver button for crossing 1 lakh subscribers but also helped many youngsters recreate the effigies for their neighbourhoods. Shaurya adds, “The Ravana that I make every year, woh Tagore Garden Shopping Centre mein bade wala effigy ke side mein lagate hain. Since I create it out of joy, I don’t monetise it.”

‘Baarish mein nuksaan ho gaya’

Recent shower certianly left Delhi cooler but some artisans were left scrambling to repair damaged effigies, when just days before Dussehra (October 20). “Barsaat ne toh saara naash kar diya. Double mehnat ho gayi, double kharcha aur labour bhi,” rues Vijender Kumar from Vijender & Sultan Singh Ravan Wale, who has been making effigies for nearly 40 years, near the Tagore Garden Metro Station. “Hum customers ko bol rahe hain ki humara kharcha zyada ho gaya hai nuksan ki wajah se. Lekin koi bhi extra pay nahi karna chahta so we are operating at a no-profit level so far.

For Kumar, who creates Ravana effigies for extra income, alongside his music band for weddings and other events, shares the collective plight of his team, Vijender shares, “Barsaat ki maar har saal padti hai par kuchh nahi kar sakte kyunki jo booking li hui hai use complete karke dena his hai. Baaki bhagwan ke hath mein hai, praying that it doesn’t rain for now.”

Sticking to the tradition

Though Pitampura’s Ramlila committee is getting talked about for its cockroach effigy, artisans share that they have stuck to traditional style of creating Ravanas. “Is baar toh zyaadatar logon ne regular Ravana hi banaye hain,” says Bala from Bala Bhai Ravan Wala, informing how his created effigies are anything but small. “Humne 50-foot ke Ravan banaye hain, jinki moochh hi ek floor jitni badi hai. Yeh Faridabad, Pankha Road, aur Janakpuri mein lagenge,” he says. Bala, who runs a taxi business through the year, takes up effigy-making for two months with a five-member team. He adds, “Paanch log milkar paanch din mein poora Ravana taiyaar kar dete hain. Hamare banaye putle Punjab aur Uttar Pradesh mein bhi jaate hain.”

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