This Muslim family is making Ravana effigies for decades

Setting an example of communal harmony, a Muslim family in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur city has been making Ravana effigies for Dussehra celebrations for decades.

Speaking to ANI, Zahid Khan, a member of the family said, "I have been making these effigies for 35-40 years. My family has been making them for generations. Hindus and Muslims all live together happily here and together make these Ravana effigies. We celebrate each other's festivals as well."

Khan said that labourers working with him belong to both the Hindu and Muslim community.

He further said that despite selling around 20-25 statues every year in various parts of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Delhi and Haryana, they could not earn a lot of money out of it.

"Whoever takes these Ravanas from us praise us a lot, they say we do good work and always come back next year. However, we don't make a lot of money out of these effigies. We work hard, but financially, we are stuck," Khan added.

He said that, despite the low-profit business, his family has been making these effigies because of their belief in the message of 'victory of good over evil', one that the story of Lord Ram's victory over Ravana conveys.