From the archive record
After Rakshbandhan in August, Titarpur comes to life and becomes a hub of the giant effigies of the demon king of Lanka. Artists start giving the shape to Ravana’s bulging eyes, broad lips and curly moustaches. Bamboo frames and colorful paper-mache representations of the demon king become a common view in the narrow lanes of Titarpur. Everyone from carpenters, painters, tea-stall owners, vegetable sellers to small-time mechanics, part-time drivers get involved in effigy-making in the village Titarpur in Delhi is an old ramshackle village populated mostly by a community of marriage band players. This becomes the resident workshop for making effigies of Ravana. 30 feet to 70 feet tall. The face, torso, legs and the crown are all different sections that are assembled on site in various Ram L