Kanpur: In a heartening story of communal harmony on the occasion of Dussehra, a Muslim family in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur has been making the effigies of Ramayana antagonist Ravana for the last over eight decades. Dussehra in the Cantonment area of Kanpur city not only marks the victory of good over evil but is also a symbol of Hindu-Muslim brotherhood.
The ancestors of Mohammad Iqbal, a resident of the Cantonment area have been working on making the effigy of Ravana for the last 86 years. In a special conversation with ETV Bharat, Iqbal said his family has been entire family has been working to promote communal harmony for three generations on the festival of Dussehra, which is said to be a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity and a symbol of good over evil.
The effigy of Ravana prepared by his family is considered a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity in the area, Iqbal said. Iqbal said that the effigy of Ravana prepared by him is sent to the Ramlila of Kanpur Cantonment Council. He said that he himself has been preparing the effigy of Ravana for 32 years. Every year, while making the effigy of Ravana, he uses many such attractive arts in it, which are very interesting to look at and different from other effigies, he said.
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Iqbal said that this time the effigy of Ravana prepared by him will have fire coming out of its mouth and eyes. He claimed that his would be the tallest Ravana of the entire city at a height of 75 ft in Ramlila located in the cantonment. Iqbal said that his family members had started the work of making Ravana effigies during undivided India.
Iqbal told ETV Bharat that he is the fourth generation member of his family, who is making the effigy of Ravana. He said that, first of all, his ancestor Baba Noor Mohammad and other family members used to prepare the effigy of Ravana. This trend is continuing from generation to generation in the Iqbal family, he said.
He said that mutual harmony is so strong in the area that religion does not matter. Talking about the toil while making the effigies, Iqbal said that it took them more than four months to prepare the Ravana mannequins. Deepesh Gupta, a member of the Chhawni Ramlila Committee, said that the committee is an example of Hindu-Muslim unity in the area.
Ramlila has been organized here with great enthusiasm for the last many years, he said adding that this year special security arrangements have been made by the committee regarding Dussehra.
