Muslim Artisans prepare Effigies of Ravana

In a reflection of Hindu-Muslim amity, Muslim artisans are giving final touches to Ravana’s effigies for Dassera celebrations.
Work here is being carried out on war footing to prepare effigies of Ravana and his brothers Meghnath and Kumbhkaran. Year
after year, Muslim artisans from Uttar Pradesh come especially to Fatehgarh Sahib district to prepare effigies of Ravana. The tradition has not been broken for the last several decades. 50- year-old Ameerudeen, a resident of UP’s Muzzafarnagar district, who is busy in preparing the effigies in Mandi Gobindgarh here, said several Muslim artists from Uttar Pradesh had come to Punjab to make effigies of the demon king. He said they spend a week’s time to prepare an effigy, adding that they enjoy making the structures even though they
are meant for a Hindu festival. “For us, all religions are alike. We do not have any religious differences in our mind,” Ameerudeen said. However, he said the cost of making these effigies had shot up. “With the rise in the input cost, some organisers have cut down on the
height and number of effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnath,” he said