In a world where differences are sometimes used to divide people, a Muslim family from Meerut is quietly keeping alive a beautiful tradition in Shimla. For nearly two decades, the family has travelled to the hill town to craft effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarana and Meghnad for Dussehra, spreading a message of communal harmony through their work.
At the historic Jakhu Temple, their preparations for the festival are underway once again. The work is more than a seasonal livelihood. For the family, it is also a tradition built on years of trust, shared spaces and a sense of belonging that goes beyond religious identities.
A 20-year-old tradition in Shimla
Effigy artists Sohail and Abdul Azim, who belong to Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, spoke about their long association with Shimla. According to ANI, the family has been coming to the city for around 20 years to prepare the effigies for Dussehra. Sohail said the family had been working at the Jakhu Temple, a well-known landmark in Shimla, for two decades. His father had held the contract for the work for the past 20 years. The family took a one-year break during the COVID-19 pandemic because of difficulties, but otherwise continued the tradition.
"We have been crafting these effigies here for 20 years," Sohail said, adding that they had faced no issues or problems and felt a strong sense of brotherhood.
'We all live in a spirit of brotherhood': Abdul Azim on communal harmony
Abdul Azim said the family had followed in the footsteps of earlier generations, continuing the work that their elders had once undertaken. He described the tradition of mutual brotherhood as something that had existed for the past 20 years. The family also stays within the temple premises and eats food provided by the temple during its time there, he said.
Addressing attempts to create religious divisions, Azim said that labelling one person as Hindu and another as Muslim was wrong. "There is nothing of the sort; we all live in a spirit of brotherhood," he said. Their words offer a simple reminder that shared work and everyday relationships can bring people together, even when public conversations sometimes focus on differences.
A festival that brings people together
Dussehra marks the victory of good over evil and is celebrated in different ways across India. In Shimla, the Meerut family's contribution to the festival is a reminder of how cultural traditions often depend on people from different communities working together. As the family prepares the effigies for the celebrations, its decades-long association with the Jakhu Temple stands as an example of a bond sustained through work, trust and mutual respect.
For Sohail, Abdul Azim and their family, the tradition is not just about making festival effigies. It is also about returning to a place where they have worked for years and where, in their words, a spirit of brotherhood continues to thrive.
(With inputs from ANI)
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