A picture of an armless but crowned Ravana statue prompted me to go on a long-due visit to my birthplace, Kahnuwan, near Gurdaspur.​All through the drive I was lost in the childhood memories of those who had played thunderous roles in my village’s Ramlila. There was pot-bellied Pt Charanjee Lal Lalari who played Lord Parashurama. Pt Ram Parkash Tiwari would play the harmonium with one hand. The other was lost fighting against British rule.Beaming faces of others who played Lord Rama, Laxmana, Hanumana, Manthara, Kevat, Kumbhkarn and Jambavan also flashed across my mind.​Kahnuwan is steeped in history and mythology, and has been immortalised by well-known author Mulk Raj Anand in his autobiographical novel ‘Confessions of a Lover’.​After I reached my village, my childhood friends gathered and took me for a tour of the village. Much to my joy, Gugga Pir’s dargah, Nathyogis’ Mandi temple, ancient Gurudwara adjoining the Kali Mata temple were all intact.​What pained me was that the old bazaar, which once bustled with joys and toys, stood dilapidated. Shops selling balushahis, mesu, gulgule, kulfi kiosks, desi biscuit factories, cycle puncture shops, and those of kite makers with string-dyeing addas were missing. The common pond, village bawli, sandy roads, and gulli-danda public spaces were also gone.I wanted to visit the home of chowkidar Khairu Mirasi, whose face was considered auspicious for winning lawsuits or finding good matches. Memories remained, but the buildings were gone. The old village seems to have surrendered its cohesive warmth to suburban areas miles away, though people of my generation still insist on “Jeena yahan, marna yahan”.​I showed the village to my daughter in the US and my son in India on a video call. Both asked me the same question: “Papa, why is the crowned Ravana armless?”​I remembered the answer my mother gave decades ago when I had asked her the same question: “Our elders were farsighted visionaries. They had erected this cemented fixture hundreds of years ago for a reason. The armless statue is a living lesson for all those who keep an evil eye on our daughters, sisters, and mothers.”Dr Rakesh Mohan Sharma, PathankotTribuneindia.com invites contributions to SHAHARNAMA. Share anecdotes, unforgettable incidents, impressionable moments that define your cities, neighbourhoods, what the city stands for, what makes its people who they are. Send your contributions in English, not exceeding 450 words, to shaharnama@Jattvibemail.comDo include the name of your city and your social media handles (X/ Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn)