The festival of Navratri is being celebrated with great enthusiasm in the capital. Along with Navratri, preparations for Dussehra are also in full swing. Now, huge Ravana effigies are seen being sold on the side of highways. The work of making Ravana effigies is up and running in the Ravana Mandi of Jaipur. It is estimated that this time the business of Ravana effigies will cross Rs 5 crore, as thousands of effigies are being made in about a dozen Ravana mandis of the city.
Ravana effigy trade association is claiming that the demand for effigies in Jaipur may increase by 20% to 30% this time. The demand suddenly surges from the seventh-eighth day of Navratri, which is why artisans make effigies of Ravana in advance.
The artisans make effigies of different heights as per the demand. At present, Ravanas ranging from 1 feet to 120 feet are being made. Ravanas of more than 30 feet in height are mostly being made as per the demand.
Generally, artisans prepare the effigy from bamboo, paper, decoration paper, taro and other things. Flour is being used to give shape to the effigy and to stick the paper. Also, decorative paper of different colours and cut-in shapes is used to make the face and clothes of the effigy.
The biggest concern of the artisans is weather change. Due to the lack of large sheltered warehouses, artisans suffer a loss of several thousand rupees. They say the effigy gets damaged in the rain or due to a strong storm, and the structure needs to be decorated again.
Ravana effigy artisans mostly hail from Gujarat. Many artisan families have been doing the same work for generations. An artisan said that for the last 35 years, his family has been coming to Jaipur to sell the effigies. Artisans say that even after hard work, the price they get is not as much as it should be, and they find it hard to make profits.