Signing you in

Listen 00:00 0.5x 0.75x 1x 1.25x 1.5x 2x AI Narration This audio is AI generated.

Building a 221-foot-tall Ravana, which is billed by the organisers as the country’s largest, is no ordinary craft. It takes three months of work, 6.5 tonnes of iron, around 700 bamboo poles, nearly 5,000 metres of velvet cloth, a giant fibreglass face, and a team of nearly 40 workers.

Once the structure is ready, it takes another 100 bouncers, 12 security personnel and a police vehicle to ensure that it remains standing until Dussehra evening on Tuesday.

With 3,000 eco-friendly crackers from Sivakasi for the immolation, the scale of the task becomes clear.

For Tejinder Chauhan, 59, who was once a kabaddi player, the challenge goes beyond putting together a giant structure.

Chauhan and his team, including workers from Barara and Agra, have been working on the Panchkula effigy for around three months. Nearly 40 workers are involved in the project, putting together the giant structure piece by piece.

“The frame alone required around 7 tonnes of iron, supported by approximately 700 bamboo poles, each measuring 24 feet in height. Nearly 5,000 metres of velvet cloth will cover the structure, while its fibreglass face weighs around 3.5 quintals,” he said.

The shoes measure 40 feet at its length and 7 feet height, and the entire structure will be operated through a remote-control system. The sword’s length is 50 feet, while the face is 25 feet. His ten faces combined breadth is about 40 feet.

Behind the 221-foot Ravana is the unusual story of Chauhan, who sold 12.5 acres of land to pursue his passion of making Ravana effigies. The land was located near the railway station in the Barara area of Ambala.

Starting in 2000, Chauhan began selling the land in bits and pieces when he ran short of funds. His decision initially upset his father, who worried that he was not doing anything worthwhile, but Chauhan continued with his work.

The spectacle will feature around 3,000 crackers sourced from Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, with fireworks arranged at 12 designated points on the effigy.

Chauhan said he learnt the technique of fitting fireworks from an electrical technician and now handles the work himself.

“I learnt this work from a technician. Over time, I understood how the fireworks had to be arranged on the effigy. They are fitted along the structure, from the clothes upwards towards the face, so that the burning creates a sequence. I take care of this work myself,” he said.

Organisers said arrangements have been made keeping safety and environmental concerns in mind.

Around 100 bouncers and 12 security personnel will guard the venue, while a police vehicle will remain stationed there to prevent any untoward incident.

The elaborate security arrangements have been made to ensure that no miscreant damages or sets fire to the effigy before the scheduled event. Organisers said the precautions were particularly important in view of an incident last year, when a potentially serious situation was averted.

As an additional precaution, organisers have kept a 225-foot-wide space clear along all four sides of the effigy in case of a mishap.

“Anyone with mischievous intentions can come and burn the effigy. We cannot take any chances. Last year, an incident was averted, so this time we have made elaborate security arrangements. Around 100 bouncers and 12 security personnel will be deployed, and a police vehicle will also remain stationed at the venue,” Vishnu Goel, chairman of the Mata Mansa Devi Development and Charitable Trust (organiser of the event), said.

According to the organisers, the Dussehra event is expected to cost around Rs 70 lakh. Goel said that they have paid Rs 40 lakh only for the cost of the Ravana, excluding the labour cost.

“We have to pay rent for the ground on a daily basis for the three months, besides meeting the workers’ food, tentage and other expenses on a daily basis. Sometimes we get sponsors, while at other times, we receive support from the Mata Mansa Devi Temple with regard to food.”

“It’s an annual affair we do. And nothing is above the smiles of so many people,” he concluded.