In these narrow lanes of Delhi, Ravana is the king and much in demand — but only to be burnt on the occasion of Dussehra.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00It takes 10-12 days for one Ravan to get ready.
00:04We took 2 months and they burnt it in 3 seconds.
00:07We make the biggest Ravan of 50ft.
00:10These people make 60 Ravan effigies every year during the Shehra.
00:15Brut is here to find out what all goes behind running one of the biggest effigy markets in Asia.
00:30Situated between the narrow stretch of Delhi's Subhash Nagar and Tegore Garden, there's a locality known as Pitarpur,
00:41where not only men, but women and their children work day and night, breathing life into the many Ravans.
00:48Everyone is involved in this. People come from outside.
00:52Neighbours, neighbours, everyone. It's like a Dussehra festival.
00:57Even the kids are happy doing this.
00:59Some like to do the Kalak, some like to do the Lahi.
01:02Some have fun while doing the work.
01:07Some do it for their hobbies, some for their personal life, to earn some money.
01:12This is a job for everyone.
01:14There's no one free.
01:16The Ravan Balas start preparing the body parts of Ravan 2 months in advance.
01:21We work on Ravan's face.
01:23Then we work on his body parts.
01:26Then we work on his moustache, his eyes, his nose.
01:30We don't have time to eat.
01:32We don't know when to eat.
01:34We eat in the morning and don't know when to eat in the evening.
01:36We just had tea. We don't know when to eat.
01:38We don't know when to drink water.
01:40Our mouths get dry.
01:41According to the artisans, carving the face and the chest is the most difficult part of the process.
01:47This is the most difficult part.
01:49The face is the most difficult part.
01:52What is the most difficult part?
01:53We have to cut the meat.
01:55We have to make it round and round.
01:58Our hands and feet get cut.
02:00The chest is the most difficult part.
02:02If we don't make the chest strong, Ravan won't stand.
02:06The chest is the most difficult part.
02:08How long does it take to make the chest?
02:10It takes 20-25 days.
02:13The framework is built with bamboo sticks.
02:15Bamboo sticks are tied together with steel wires.
02:18This is followed by wrapping the frame with old sarees and later with khaki paper.
02:23A colored paper or a glazed paper is pasted over the model using lehi as a glue,
02:29which is then painted and decorated once it dries.
02:32We make it from 5 feet to 50 feet.
02:34The rate of Ravan starts from Rs.1500 and goes up to Rs.20.
02:39This is of 50 feet.
02:41This is the biggest set.
02:45The price of this is Rs.35,000.
02:48A small Ravan of 1 foot costs Rs.200-250.
02:52The artisans had such things shipped to various cities such as Agra, Mathura, Vrindavan, Sonipat,
02:58and countries like Australia too.
03:00It has been shipped to Australia.
03:02It has been shipped to Australia.
03:04I think it has been shipped 3 months before Rakhi.
03:093 pieces are shipped.
03:103 faces, 3 heads.
03:13It is not a big content.
03:16It will be shipped.
03:18How much did it cost to ship it to Australia?
03:20It was around Rs.1,20,000.
03:22As the whole village comes together to deliver orders from across India,
03:26the main concerns of the artisans are the unpredictable rains and theft.
03:30One of the biggest tensions of Ravan is that people avoid buying it.
03:35They steal it.
03:37They steal someone's face, someone's hands, someone's chest.
03:42They steal someone's clothes.
03:44What do they do after that?
03:46I don't know.
03:47They burn their joints by stealing.
03:50You have to stay awake for 15 days.
03:52You have to take care of it.
03:54There are people who steal.
03:55After the ban on firecrackers, the artisans said that they are primarily involved in making BFGs.
04:01The decision about adding firecrackers is entirely up to the client.
04:05When Ravan burns in 3 seconds, how do you feel?
04:09Yes, we have to think once that it burned very quickly.
04:12But when we get the money, we don't feel so bad.
04:15It makes a difference.
04:16It takes 2 months of hard work.
04:18When it burns, we remember our hard work.
04:21We took 2 months and they burned it in 3 seconds.
04:26People say that Ravan should not be burnt because of pollution.
04:30What would you like to say about that?
04:31We don't believe in such things.
04:33Dusshera has been going on since the beginning.
04:35It has not stopped till now.
04:36It will not stop in the future.
04:37Ravan has to be sacrificed and it will be done.
04:39If Ravan survives, we will make our Dusshera here in Parag.
04:42Once the festive season is over, the artisans will return to their professions
04:47such as farming, driving cabs and even painting
04:50only to return next year for the love of their craft.
04:55Dusshera