ANGELO JEDIDIAH
angelo.jedidiah@guardian.co.tt
Before Divali’s lights glow and Ramleela’s drums roll, Felicity awakens to a different rhythm — the sharp snap of bamboo under skilled hands. While the spectacle of Ravan’s effigy burning usually captures the spotlight, this year attention turns earlier, to the artisans and volunteers who build it, bamboo by bamboo.
At the Green Park Recreation Ground, the First Felicity Ramleela and Cultural Group temporarily transforms the space into a production site. Here, artisans work to construct the towering effigy, expected to reach nearly 70 feet and weigh about three tonnes.
With bamboo already gathered, local volunteers have cut, sliced, and bent the stalks to form the effigy’s frame.
“The hardest part is the framing. After the framing, everything else is easy,” said volunteer Brendan Ramdarran.
Though he doesn’t consider himself a professional, he cherishes the chance to learn bamboo harvesting and crafting, a skill passed down from the ‘old men’ in the area. With steady hands and quiet confidence, he shapes the sturdy stalks into precise curves, unfazed by the risk of cracks or breaks.
Once the bamboo skeleton is complete, paper mâché adds the ‘flesh’ to the frame. For Varun Ramsubhaj, volunteering came naturally. Much of his time is spent lying on the ground, ensuring each layer dries properly before adding a combination of oil and car paint. Cardboard and bamboo reinforce the structure, giving the effigy the strength and stability to stand on its own.
“Since my grandfather and father, I’ve been coming since I was small — going to school, then helping them here on the grounds. It’s just a passion,” Ramsubhaj said.
For the mastermind behind the build, craftsman Ryan Jaggan, constructing the effigy is grueling work, but seeing it take shape brings deep satisfaction.
“The real sense of accomplishment comes when it’s standing,” Jaggan said. “When we raise it with the crane, strap it down, and see it stand on its own for the first time — that’s when you know the weeks of hard work paid off.”
And beyond the awe of the audience on Ramleela night, Jaggan admits the boy in him waits for the ultimate spectacle.
“The most exciting part is seeing it go on fire. That’s the real purpose — 60 to 70 feet of flames shooting into the sky. We don’t see that often.”
As a community, the group’s president, Sundar Jookoo, said they strive to preserve Ramleela as traditionally as possible. With community effort and financial support, the open-air religious theatre continues to thrive, but the group hopes for more assistance in the future.
“We’ve been seeking, for years now, a permanent place to call home, not just sharing space. This is not just about culture; it’s also a tourism attraction. Felicity is known for Divali and Ramleela. In fairness, we’re not asking for too much, just minor assistance. After so many years, maybe God will smile on us — 110 years — and we’ll finally have a place to call home.”
