try set aflame gigantic effigies of the ten-headed demon, in a ceremony that symbolizes the triumph of good over evil.To make this happen, effigy makers get to work up to three months ahead of Dussehra.We took a look behind the scenes of Titarpur, one of India’s largest effigy markets.A few months ahead of Dussehra, Titarpur comes to life with towering bamboo frames and colorful papier-mâché representations of the demon king. The market, which employs close to 250 laborers, produces over 2,000 towering effigies of Ravana ahead of the Hindu festival each year.Above, colorful effigies of Ravana along a bus stop in Titarpur, Monday.Effigies sold in Titarpur range in height from five feet to 50 feet, with prices that go from around 750 rupees ($14) to 10,000 rupees ($186). The figures, which stand out above all for their extraordinary mustaches and blood-shot eyes, are often adorned with fabric recycled from old saris, which effigy makers buy in bulk.Pictured above, freshly painted effigies outside a workshop in Titarpur, Monday.Titarpur s effigies, which are highly coveted, are transported across the country and some of the best are even shipped overseas. Indian families in London s district of Southhall, for instance, order effigies from the market every year, shopkeepers say.Above, craftsmen loaded effigies on a truck, in Titarpur, Monday.“Savings from the effigy business feed my family all year-round,” says Mr. Chaudhury, 35, who sold his first effigy when he was 10 years old. “For us effigy makers, Ravana isn’t an incarnation of the devil. Rather, he’s a major source of income and survival,” he adds.The businessman, whose friends nickname him the “Ravanwallah,” which roughly translates as “Ravan Seller,” expects to earn a profit of 50,000 rupees ($932) from the 25 effigies his workshop has produced for this year’s Dussehra.Shown, Mr. Chaudhury gave finishing touches to an effigy of Ravana in Titarpur, Monday.Across the road from Mr. Chaudhury is the workshop of 22-year-old Manoj Kumar. His family, which runs a small pottery business, has been crafting Ravana effigies for decades.Although Mr. Kumar works as a waiter at a local Pizza Hut joint, he took a month’s leave to help his family with Dussehra preparations. I didn’t want to bail out on them just because I have a job now,” he says.Above, http://www.tomsoutletsalecheap.com - toms outlet , Mr. Kumar, right, http://www.tomsoutletsalecheap.com - toms shoes sale , with his mother, left.A few feet away from Mr, http://www.tomsoutletsalecheap.com - toms shoes . Kumar s roadside shop sits Vishal, an 11-year-old, who meticulously painted papier-mâché at a relative s effigy workshop on Monday. The fifth-grade student says he wants to become a very famous effigy contractor one day. He dreams of preparing a 70-feet tall effigy and sell it to Shah Rukh Khan, the Bollywood actor.Above, Vishal painted papier-mâché at an effigy workshop.In a nearby street, nine year-old Amit Kalra and his friends collected bamboo sticks, papier-mâché and waste cloth from effigy vendors in Titarpur. The young group plans to prepare a five-foot-tall effigy over the next few days. It will be the
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