The fall of a giant

Illustration: Sonal Goyal “But why are we in Goa for Deepavali? Isn’t it the place to be in for Christmas?” grumbled Taran, as the taxi they were in navigated traffic. Amma and Appa didn’t say much, except for a cryptic, “You will see”. The car swerved off the highway into smaller roads.Who’s that?Suddenly, Taran was alert. There was a large, man-like structure on the side of the road. In a kilometre, there was one more. “Looks like a large-scale monster with a big tongue sticking out,” said Taran.Appa smiled. “It’s an effigy of Narakasura. Every neighbourhood constructs its own giant effigy ... a bit of healthy competition.”“A bit spooky. I might have got scared if I had encountered it at night. Thank God we arrived in daylight hours!”Amma smiled. “Each looks magnificent.”“But, why now? What’s the significance,” asked Taran.“Well,” said Appa, warming up with the story. “You know we celebrate Naraka Chaturdashi as the first day of Deepavali.”Taran nodded. “Yes, it’s in my diary, in the list of holidays.”Story of Narakasura“Correct. So, it is named after Narakasura. He was born to Bhoodevi, the Goddess of Earth, and Varaha, Vishnu’s avatar as a boar. Though he was born to Gods, he went rogue.”“Oh, how did that happen?”“Because of his ego. He had a boon that only his mother could kill him. Narakasura figured no mother would kill her own son. So, he started a reign of terror. The gods pleaded for help, and Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama (a reincarnation of Bhoodevi) came down to Earth to restore order. Narakasura was slain by Lord Krishna and Satyabhama.”“Ah, I can connect the dots now.”“Yup. So, Goa has a unique tradition of bursting crackers through the night and early morning, when the effigies of Narakasura are burnt. It marks the great battle when darkness and the ego were destroyed.”Taran was all charged up. “Will that happen tonight? So exciting!”Time to beginThey rested at their home stay in Assagao. At 4.00 a.m., they headed out on foot. They didn’t have to worry about safety. It looked like the whole neighbourhood was already up and about. The sky was lit up with fireworks, and houses were decorated with diyas and lanterns.Soon, it was time for the final act. The family took position at the village centre. The effigy of Narakasura — fierce and huge — had been taken in a procession around the village and was set on fire almost at dawn. The effigy crashed to the ground. Appa tried to document the event with his camera.“How the mighty fall,” said Taran, pensive on the walk back. “If only he didn’t think he was invincible.”“It is a lesson for all of us, not just Narakasura,” smiled Appa. Published - November 06, 2026 10:00 am IST