Price rise and other demons

Ravana effigies too haven't escaped inflationary pressure.

The victory of good over evil on the day of Dusshera, also called Vijayadashami, will be a costly affair this year.

With the cost of all commodities used to make them rising, the prices of Ravana's effigies, which are burnt on this day, have almost doubled. A 45-feet effigy of Ravana is being sold for Rs 5,000 this year, which is Rs 2,500-Rs 3,000 more than what it would have cost last year.

The prices of bamboo, paper, glue "" the principal materials used in the effigies"" have gone up. The floods in Assam have led to the prices of bamboo almost doubling to Rs 800 per kodi (20 skewers).

Bittu Poddar, an effigy maker in Delhi, says, "Last year we paid Rs 400 per kodi, but owing to the shortage of bamboo in the market this year, we had to purchase the bamboo at Rs 800 per kodi."

Bittu belongs to the third generation of a family engaged in the making of Ravana effigies.

Even the prices of paper have gone up from Rs 10 per kilogram to Rs 16 per kg. Arrowroot, which is used for making the glue to stick the paper on the bamboo frame, is also more expensive at Rs 20 per kg.

"This year we will be making 140 effigies of Ravan. As of now, we have orders for 55 effigies, of which 16 are 45 feet tall and the rest are between 5-30 feet in height."

The price is quoted according to the size of the effigy ordered by the customer. "This year we are charging Rs 100 per feet," Bittu says.

Another effigy maker in the same area, Dipak Sahu, is also feeling the pinch. "As Dusshera nears, the prices of a 45-feet effigy will go up to Rs 10,000." Sahu will be making 67 effigies this year "" 33 of which are 45 feet tall.

However, he also expresses concern that if demand does not pick up, he might be lower the price to Rs 1,000 per effigy.

The effigy-makers also put fire-crackers inside the effigy, if the customer demands it, and pays Rs 200 extra.

The customer, of course, has to bear the expense of the crackers.

Other than Delhi, these Ravana effigies are also sent to the neighbouring states of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana.