Even as hectic activity is on in Goa to prepare mammoth effigies of demon Narakasura to be burnt on Diwali eve, a tradition involving only boys till four years back, a group of girls have decided to take their participation one step forward and make it a grand celebration.
"Four years back, we girls thought why only boys should prepare the effigies and we should be mere spectators. So we decided that we will have our own effigy. We wanted to enjoy the thrill of the festival," said Sulaxita Rane, a young computer teacher, who is among the founder group of seven girls who kicked off the idea.
Since then, several girls have joined the team at Altinho in Panaji.
"When we started, we expected boys to feel offended because we were taking on their fiefdom and object to it, but it was a pleasant surprise when we saw them supporting us," she said.
The girls began with a small 5-feet effigy which earned a lot of praise from revellers.
"That gave us support and next year we did a bigger effigy. We were confident," said Shweta Khandekar, another group member.
This year, the group is busy putting up a 12-ft effigy matching those being prepared by their male counterparts. The girls are focusing on keeping it eco-friendly.
"We have designed an eco-friendly effigy. It is made only of paper so that when it is burnt, there will be no harm to the environment," said Navisha Naik, who joins the group after her college hours.
According to mythology, Lord Krishna had eliminated Narakasura, thereby indicating the victory of good over evil.
The work on making the effigy begins 15 days prior to Diwali. The tradition of burning Narakasura's effigy has been going on in the state since ages which also attracts thousands of tourists to watch this unique festivity.
"Every evening we gather here and complete the effigy. We work till midnight. None of us are trained to do it, but we have learnt from our fellow revellers," said Navisha.
The girls are trying to be creative to make their labour more appreciable.
"While rest of Narakasura effigies are just standing lifeless, we have depicted a scene where the demon is rising from the hills and is eliminated by Lord Krishna," she said.
