JAIPUR: With GST raising the cost of raw materials used in making Ravana effigies and budgets of Ramleela committees decreasing, effigy makers which were confined to making area-specific effigies are now also making smaller effigies for retail customers. They are also introducing various innovations in the effigies.TOI on Saturday spoke to various effigy makers across the city, especially those who have been coming from various parts of Uttar Pradesh for years.“If the costing of a 40ft effigy was nearly Rs 45,000, it has now risen to almost Rs 70,000 with increase in prices of bamboo and trash. Ramleela committees, which are our employers, too are talking about financial constraints like lesser donations for Ramleela and other events during Navratri ,” said Abdul Saeed, an effigy maker near Adarsh Nagar area.For the past couple of years, effigy makers have started making smaller effigies which they sell for Rs 250 to Rs 1,000. “Now, we are focusing on retail customers who prefer to burn effigies in front of their houses and localities. There are resident welfare associations of various apartments which have a limited budget of Rs 20,000 for Dussehra, so we are catering to them as well,” said Narayan Lal, an effigy maker near Shipra Path in Mansarovar.In the changing scenario, effigy makers are also trying out various innovations just to draw the attention of Ramleela committees.“We are introducing things like Ravana’s laughter while the effigy is set on fire or his revolving crown amid firecrackers, etc. Moreover, we also supply effigies for people of nearby towns including Shahpura, Dudu and Kothputli,” said an effigy maker at Vidhyadhar Nagar.Effigy makers say that low-cost effigies sell like hot cakes.“These days, to avoid overcrowded grounds and parks where big Dussehra festivals are organised, people prefer to bring small effigies and lit them with families and people in the neighbourhood on Dussehra,” said Jagdish Sharma, office bearer of a resident welfare association of an apartment at Sikar road.

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