Script Indian Traditional Theatre Form Of Ramleela

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1 Course - Bachelor of Performing Arts (Theatre) Year - II Paper Name - Theory Paper No.- I Lecture No.- 7 Script Indian Traditional Theatre Form Of Ramleela Historically it is believed that first Ram leela shows were staged by Megha Bhagat, one of the disciples of Tulsidas, the author of Ramacharita manas in about 1625 AD, though there are some evidence of its existence in some form before the creation of this version as well. Some scholars believe its first appearance somewhere between 1200 and 1500 AD. Later during in the time of Mughal emperor Akbar, according to some, Akbar is said to have watched a performance.krishna Das Kaviraj mentions in his 16th century hagiography ofsaint ChaitanyaMahaprabhu( ), Chaitanya Charitamrita, that once he got carried away while performing the character of Hanuman at a play in Puri, thus proving the existence of Ramayana plays, before the Ramcharita manas appeared.though it would safe to conclude that its implosion into the Hindi heartland, happened only after Tulsidas created his version in people's language of the time, the Avadhi, unlike the original written by Valmiki, in Sanskrit, the language only spoken by Brahmins by then, which excluded much of masses from experiencing the inspirational saga, which is essentially the victory of good over evil. Ramlila (literally 'Rama s lila or play is a dramatic folk

2 re enactment of the life of Lord Ram, ending up in ten day battle between Lord Ramand Ravan as described in the Hindu religious epic, the Ramayana. A tradition that originates from the Indian subcontinent, the play is staged annually often over ten or more successive nights, during the auspicious period of 'Sharad Navratras', which marks the commencement of the Autumn festive period, starting with the Dussehra festival. Usually the performances are timed to culminate on the festival of Vijayadashami day, that commemorates the victory oflord Ram over demon king Ravana, when the actors are taken out in a procession through the city, leading up to a mela ground or town square, where the enactment of the final battle takes place, before giant effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhakaran and son Meghanath are set fire, and coronation or abhisheka of Rama at Ayodhya takes place, marking the culmination of festivities and restoration of the divine order. Rama is the 7th incarnation of Vishnu and central figure of the Ramayana. The Ramayana is based on the life, times and values of Lord Rama. Lord Rama is called the Maryada Purushottam or 'The best among the dignified'. The story of Lord Rama and his comrades is so popular in India that it has actually amalgamated the psyche of the Indian mainstream irrespective of their religion. The very story of Ramayana injects ethics

3 to the Indian mainstream. Most Ramlilas in North India are based on the 16th century Avadhi version of Ramayana, Ramcharitmanas, written by Gosvami Tulsidas entirely in verse, thus used as dialogues in most traditional versions, where openair productions are staged by local Ramlila committees, 'Samitis', and funded entirely by the local population, the audience. It is close to the similar form of folk theatre, Rasa lila, which depicts the life of Krishna, popular in Uttar Pradesh, especially Brajaregions of Mathura, Vrindavan, and amongst followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism and Vaishnavism in Manipur, with some similarity with Pandavlila of Garhwal, based on life of Pandavas of Mahabharat and Yakshagana of Karnataka, based on various epic and puranas. Ramlila has received considerable global attention, especially due to its diverse representation throughout the globe, especially amongst the Indian diaspora community, and regions where Hinduism has spread over the centuries, like Africa and several South East Asian countries. UNESCO proclaimed the tradition of Ramlila a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in Subsequently, Govt. of India and IGNCA produced a two hour documentary, titled "Ramlila The traditional performance of Ramayana" for UNESCO, on 'Ramnagar Ramlila', and

4 Ramlila traditions of Avadh, Braj andmadhubani, and that of Ayodhya, which assimilates elements of all three. Another unique Ramlila, is being staged since 1972, at Bakshi Ka Talab, about 20 km from Lucknow, where lead characters like Rama, Lakshman and Hanuman are played by Muslim youths, a clear departure in a region known for communal flare ups; this four day Ram Lila starts on the day of Dusshera day, and has also been adapted into a Radio play, 'Us Gaon ki Ram Lila', by Lucknow All India Radio, which won the Communal Harmony Award in Today, several regions have developed their distinctive form of Ramlila, Uttar Pradesh itself has numerous variants of presentation styles, most prominent among them is that of Ramnagar, Varanasi. Staged over multiple venue, the pantomime style is visible in jhankis or tableaux pageants as seem in Ramlila of Varanasi, where colourful Jhankis and pageants depicting scenes from the life of Lord Rama are taken out through the city. Ramnagar, 15 km. from Varanasi presents the Ramlila started by the erstwhile Maharaja of Kashi in the most traditional style. The only one in India where performances last for 31 days, marked by detailed dialogues and impressive enactments. Hundreds of sadhus come to Ramnagar to watch and recite the epic. Permanent structures are built and spaces designated to represent the main locales of the story i.e. Ashok Vatika, Janakpuri, Panchvati, Lanka etc.

5 transforming the whole township into a vast Ramlila ground. The audience move along with the performers with every episode. To maintain the authenticity character of the Ramlila, electric lights, mikes and loudspeakers are not used, though the average audience is rarely less than ten thousand. Ramayana means Rama's journey, and Ramlila suggests this journey literally. There are no seats. People sit on the ground, stand, watch from rooftops or perch on walls. When the action calls for it, the crowd moves from one location to another. Following in Rama's footsteps is fundamental to Ramlila. This movement is a kind of pilgrimage, a worship in action. The festival itself transforms an area of many square miles. Some of the stages are enclosures in the middle of the town, others are deep in what was once forest and jungle, or on grassy hillsides and in open fields, or amid large gardens of fragrant blooming trees and temples and marble gazebos built by former maharajahs. For one scene, the stage is the Maharajah's own palace, known as the Fort, which it really once was. Each episode is called a lila. On most days, Ramlila begins at 5 p.m. and continues until 10 at night. Some

6 episodes last late into the evening and one, Rama's coronation, does not end until dawn. According to a 2008 UNESCO report, the most representative Ramlilas are those of Ayodhya, Ramnagar andvaranasi, Vrindavan, Almora, Satna and Madhubani. The Almora or Kumaon style was set in the musical rendering of the katha based on the theatrical style developed by Uday Shankar during his stay in Almora, it was carried on forward by Mohan Upreti and Brijendra Lal Sah. A Ramlila actor in the traditional attire of Ravana Next is the operatic style incorporates elements of folk theatre elements generously, while the traditional style remains, where the couplets of Ramacharit manas not only act as dialogues, but also as chorus as well, and lastly there is the Ramlila staged by professional troupes called "mandalis". Many urban Ramilias now have dialogues written in Khadi Boli or in local dialects, but the treatment remains melodramatic as always to achieve maximum impact amidst an audience that knows the story by heart, but watches the enactment nevertheless for religious fervour and also for its spectacle value, making Ramlila an important event in the religious as well as social calendar of not only in small town and villages but also many big cities. Just

7 other folk theatre form of India, like Jatra of Bengal, topic themes are often interwoven in the script to had relevance and sometimes humour is used to offer a critic or commentary over current happenings. A unique staging of Ramlila, takes place at Chitrakoot, over five days every year during the last week of February, beginning from the Maha Shivratri day, here the episode of Bharat Milap is of prime importance, and is watched by eager devotees. The Ram Barat of Agra is another interesting tradition connected with Ramlila, where in during the three festivities, a marriage procession of Rama is taken through various localities of the city. Delhi holds many prominent Ramlilas across the city, including the oldest one on the Ramlila Grounds, outside the historic Red Fort, it was started in times of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. Traditionally organized in a makeshift open air theatre at night, it is usually staged by amateur actors drawn from the same social grouping as the audience. There is often a singer (occasionally a priest) in the sidelines who recites relevant verses from the Ramayana during scene changes or at moments of dramatic tension. These recitations and the narrative of the play are usually based on Ramacharitamans, Gosvami Tulsidas' version of the Ramayana, in the Awadhi language, written in 16th century. The dialog is improvised, and

8 often responsive to audience reactions. Dhol drummers and other musicians participate. The atmosphere is usually festive and free, with the audience whistling and commenting as the story proceeds. In many rural areas, traditional venues for Ramlila have developed over the centuries, and hundreds of people will often make the trip nightly to attend the play. Surrounding areas temporarily transform into bazaars to cater to the audience. Depending on the region, interspersed breaks in the play can become impromptu talent shows for local society, and a de facto competition takes place between neighbouring Ram lilas, each vying to stage a more lavish production. Though the play itself is thematically religious, this social aspect often draws in people from non Hindu segments of the community as well. Performance costs are usually financed by fund raising in the community, often by self organized Ramlila Committees. Lead performers of a Ramlila troupe mandali, with the director, called vyasa Traditionally organized in a makeshift open air theatre at night, it is usually staged by amateur actors drawn from the same social grouping as the Over the centuries, Ramlila has evolved into a highly venerated art form, and has travelled to far corners of the globe, through Indian diaspora, not as acts of "cultural recovery", rather as fresh expressions of a

9 persistent faith. Today, Ramalila is staged in most countries that with immigrant Hindu populations from the Indian subcontinent, including that from India, Nepal and Pakistan. Outside the Indian subcontinent, this includes Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa, Canada, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Great Britain, the United States, and Australia. Some Asian cultures have similar drama traditions based on the Ramayana, for instance the Phra Lak Phra Lam (Lak and Lam are the Laotian names for Lakshma and Ram, respectively) folk play of Laos and north eastern Thailand.

Ram Lila (Dr. Arun Verma) Dec. 2010

Ram Lila (Dr. Arun Verma) Dec. 2010 Jai Shri Ram! Background: Lord Ram is the seventh avatar of Vishnu. The King of Ayodhya. Born in Raghuvanshi dynasty. He is the Mryada Purshottam, Lord of virtue. The