Jammu: Every year at the time of Navratra, scores of Muslim artists travel from across the country to give life to the festivities in Jammu.
The Teer Gaar artists from Uttar Pradesh, who are Muslim by religion, come all the way to Jammu to make Ravanas and Kumbhkarana effigies during Dussehra celebrations.
"I've been coming here for the last 22 years. Each of us takes around 2-4 days with 4 men at constant work to make these effigies. This is a religious affair and we work together," says artist Mohammad Rehan.
Come September and its time for Mohammad to sharpen his tools. He leaves his village in Meerut to set the stage for celebrations in the northern tip of the country which has been his annual routine for the last 22-years.
This routine brings him and 32 other Muslim artists to Jammu and Kashmir. Known as Teer Gaars these artists are an essential part of celebrations in the state. It's their job to make sure that the Ravanas and Kumbhkarans are up and in place right before Dussehra.
Though their visit to the valley has been restricted since 1993, Rehan and his group have never missed their annual stint in Jammu.
"The bamboo is specially brought from Assom. It's called the khokra bamboo, which is soft and can be easily moulded," says artist Mohammad Ghiasudin.
Art transcends all barriers of religion and faith. The evidence comes from the Muslim Teer Gaar artists who have become an inseparable part of the Navratra and Dussehra celebrations in Jammu.
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