A Modest Ravana: An Unusual Dussehra Story

Affluent Dussehra Samitis erect huge effigies of Ravana and the accompanying demons, their size perhaps a mirror image of the organisers’ egos and influence.

The tallest Ravana at Bhopal this Dussehra is a towering, imperious effigy of 105 feet. The modest Ravana I’m talking about is a little less than four feet.

“Uncle, will you give me some puttha, cello tape, and white paper?” Lucky asked.

“What for?” asked Uncle.

“We are making Ravana.”

“Check the washing machine area, the corner where discarded packing material waits for kabadi sale. Take what you need.”

Later, Lucky got the cello tape roll and a few sheets of white paper.

Lucky and Satyam got down to work, and twice a day—during the morning walk and after-dinner stroll—they reported their progress to their cardboard-and-cello-tape donor.

Two days before Vijaya Dashami, Lucky casually mentioned, “I’ll ask my Dad for 50 rupees, and Satyam will bring 70 rupees for the firecrackers to be stuffed inside the effigy.”

“We need a little help.”

“Go ahead. What do you need?”

“We’re making the central head. Will you please print the nine subsidiary heads?”

“Okay, remind me tomorrow after breakfast.”

Uncle was reminded. He downloaded a Ravana head from Wikimedia, got it pre-approved by the boys, and proceeded to print. Alas, his colour cartridge was spent. He tried to print in B&W, but a recent software update and laptop reboot had erased the printer settings, and the boys were getting impatient.

“How much would it cost to get the heads printed from the photocopier shop?”

“No idea, but a colour print costs 10 rupees,” said Lucky.

“Okay. Here’s my donation for the Ravana project.” Uncle gave 100 rupees. “Will this do?”

They got all ten heads printed—one in colour and nine in B&W—for 50 rupees.

(Ravana with his Makers- Lucky and Satyam)

“We spent the rest on more crackers,” said Satyam.

“Total cost of your project?”

“Less than 300 rupees.”

“Where is the venue?”

“The vacant plot next to H 84.”

“Time?”

“7 pm, so that after our event we may go to the Baghmugalia Dussehra maidan. This year, the effigies are taller than last year. Ravana, Kumbhakarna, and Meghnad are already standing tall.”

“Who will kill your Ravana?”

The boys hadn’t yet decided.

“How about making Sheetal and Shilpi Ram and Sita?”

Shilpi, who was present, grabbed Sita’s role; so, Sheetal, who was at home, would have to be Ram.

Chathi Lal, Shilpi’s four-year old cousin, would be Hanuman, it was unanimously decided. Chathi Lal had never been Hanuman, but he accepted the honour with a hesitant smile.

(Sita and Ram. Chathi Lal was AWOL, so his little sister joined in as the youngest of the Vanar Sena)

(Ram Leela Mandali)

Does evil come in different sizes?

What if the boys had made Ravana’s heads themselves, instead of downloading them from the net? Would some of them have looked a bit like the school bully, and a rather unkind teacher?

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