From bamboo to ashes: The lives of Delhi's Ravana artisans

As Dussehra approaches, the skyline of West Delhi transforms.

- ANAMTA FATIMA

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Towering effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnath rise in open grounds, waiting for the symbolic moment of their destruction. But behind these structures giants stands a community of artisans whose labour, skill and survival remain largely invisible once the flames die down.

Among them is "Delhi ke mashhoor Dulhar Bhai Ravan Wale", a name whispered with familiarity in lanes filled with bamboo, wires and coloured paper. Dulhar Bhai has been in this craft since 1990, when he was just 13. He recalls learning from the legendary "Ravan Wale Baba," who pioneered the practice of effigy-making in the capital. "For us, Ravana is not just an effigy it is our livelihood, our identity," he says.