A slight nip in the air has signalled a change of season. The winter that took an eternity to arrive in North India last year has made an early entry. The mornings and evenings are getting cold, making me turn to the warm embrace of a shawl that I have started carrying with me.
As I cross the Ramlila grounds, I sensed the festive spirit. There is a mela going on with knick-knacks strewn around in makeshift stalls. The shopkeepers are selling everything from jewellery to stuffed toys. My daughter wants me to buy her key rings from one of the glittery shops, but I always race past them looking at the thronging crowds full of strange-looking men, wondering if it’s safe to stop the car and get down to make a little purchase. She looks with longing every time we cross those shops and lets out a shrill cry of joy seeing the rides. The enthusiastic kids make a beeline for their turn while the harried parents wait and try to control their infectious exuberance. We smile and partake in their joy from a distance without becoming a part of it. We spot the half-done effigies of Ravana, Indrajit and Kumbhakarna lying on the floor. My daughter questions me while looking at the structures. She wants to know why they are resting half-made on the floor.
I tell her Dussehra is approaching. This is the evil-in-making that will be demolished by the goodness on that day. “Once they make the rough draft, they will put some fireworks and dress up the effigies nicely.” “But they won’t look bad when they are made up nicely. I won’t see any evil in them,” she says and gives a full throttled laugh. I wonder at her innocence. If only she could realise we all look beautifully made up from outside but are not as beautiful when turned inside out.
We monitor the progress of the effigies every single day. Now they have dressed them up in colourful clothes and no doubt they have made them picture perfect, devoid of any error. The evil is ready to be burnt during the rituals.
“See, the evil is hidden now. It looks as if it doesn’t exist anymore,” she says, clapping her hands with enthusiasm.And I wonder if only festivals could put an end to what they proclaim with such ardour, life would turn out to be perfect. The war against evil will continue even after we burn those effigies. The burning is merely symbolic, but how many Dussehras would it take to burn those Ravanas who lurk deep inside humans and are ready to pounce on every Sita? The victory will only be ours when we are able to kill the demons inside us.
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