Summary of this article
Sita reflects on the burning of Ravana’s effigy.
The poem contrasts celebration and mourning.
It shows Sita’s quiet distance from Rama after the war.
Each year, they set fire
to his effigy in repeated exorcism.
Crowd throngs in frenzy
as flames run up his torso
and the ten heads.
You can’t blame them.
Everyone loves some drama.
Husband dear,
how long till we reach home?
I ask Rama.
He doesn’t reply.
The palace roads would be lined
with sparkling diyas by now.
In our island far south,
they would be mourning our kin
and a lost battle
wading deep into the ocean.
Smitha Sehgal is a poet and legal professional.
