Delhi: Making of thousands of Ravanas

2013/10/05


I am in Delhi now. I got here this morning by the airline appropriately named ,

“ Spice Airways”..I am not kidding. The one hour flight was amusing in that

I was sitting next to two middle level politicians and eves dropping on the

conversation of their strategy of who and how they will meet such and such.

Delhi airport was surprisingly nice, modern, clean and not filled with people.

My sister and brother in law were there to get me to their home. My immediate

impression of Delhi was that it was greener and cleaner than I had remembered.

I also saw numerous three wheel rickshaws paddled by men. I guess it is a

greener alternative to the black diesel ones. My sister showed me E Rickshaw,

which is run by electric battery. The charge on the battery lasts for 80 km. which

is good for one day’s work. This is the best transportation for Indian cities. Delhi

is making progress.


On the way home we saw thousands of Ranvanas being made. A little

mythology lesson for the non Indian friends. India is a land of festivals and

feasts. This is the beginning of ten days of “navratri” meaning ten days of

dancing, feasting and worshipping the goddess Durga, symbol of women power

and strength. This is also time for preparing for the next festival of Dashara

( which will be in ten days). Dashara is the final day of the epic war between

Good and Bad, between the good king Rama and the Evil but powerful king

Ravana. On the day of Dashara, Ram kills Ravana. All over India ( and even

in New York, Dallas and other places) large effigies of Ravana are made and

ceremoniously burned with loud fanfare of fireworks and such. I had never

seen the Ravan being made till today. Thousands of them were getting ready in

this area. I took few pictures but it is something to be seen to believe the scale

of this endeavor. I wonder if India is getting more religious or more prosperous

or people are finding excuses to celebrate and enjoy. May be little of all of the

above.

Bicycle Rickshaw

Birla Temple

Fruit Vendor at Night

After lunch and lots of catching up, we drove to Birla Temple ( I had not seen

this either). It is a big marble temple constructed by India’s first industrialist,

Birla and inaugurated by India’s Father Mahatma Gandhi in 1933 ( before

independence). Remember Gandhi was assassinated in 1947 in Birla house

nearby where he was leading a “all inclusive prayer”. The temple has nice

marble statues of all Gods imaginable ( including, Buddha, Mahavir, Guru Nanak

and others) and unlike most temples, it is clean and peaceful place to sit and

meditate about anything and everything.

Making of Ravana

Ravana's Head

Street Home in front of Mall

Two Monkeys

But, I also find that ever present beggars are more aggressive and more

desperate looking. It is a shame that people get desensitized to such inhumane

conditions convincing themselves that these are all “pretend” people and go on

spending time and money on pleasing the Gods in the heaven.

Anyways, good night from the city which has been the capital of the country

for thousands of years and has seen Aryans, Greeks, Turks, Moguls , British and

many others come, rule and get simulated.