Mohammad Zafar Alam from Gaya is a busy man these days. He is one of the eight sculptors giving shape to the effigies of Ravan, Kumbhakarn and Meghnad that will go up in flames at the Dussehra celebrations at Gandhi Maidan.

Alam (47), has been making such effigies since age 12; he learned the craft from his late father Mohammad Noor, who continued making effigies of Ravan, Kumbhakarn and Meghnad till the day he died.

Of the eight sculptors building the effigies, one is Hindu; he is from Jharkhand. Alam’s son Golden Mohammad is also one of the eight. This year, the Ravan effigy will be 70ft tall, while Kumbhakarn and Meghnad will be 60ft. Crackers from Bengal will be fitted in the effigies for a spectacular display of fireworks.

Unlike other years, the effigies are being made inside Gandh Maidan itself. The Gandhi Maidan programme is organised by the Sri Dussehra Committee Trust, which looks after the arrangements with the support of the district administration.

“This year, the effigies would be more attractive than previous years. We are making them in the style of what you see in Delhi,” Alam said. “We are taking all precautions in case it rains. We have wrapped plastic around the effigies so that they will burn even if it rains.”

The material being used for the effigies include 350 bamboo poles, 350 kg of paper, 100 kg of strings, 70 kg of wheat flour, and 25 kg of paint.

Alam said the work would be completed by October 16 and the crackers would be fitted on October 18, the day before Dussehra.

Pouches filled with kerosene and camphor are fitted inside the effigies so that even they should burn even in rain.

Kamal Nopani, president of the Sri Dussehra Committee Trust, said that Governor Lal Ji Tandon, chief minister Nitish Kumar, deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi and Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary will be present during the Ravan Vadh programme.The organisers are taking extra precautions to avoid the embarrassments of the past. In 2011, the effigy of Ravan bent before it could burn and in 2014 a stampede killed 33 people.