Ayodhya is not where the action is

While for the rest of the world Deepawali marks Lord Ram’s return to Ayodhya, this city itself celebrates Chhoti Diwali, the birth anniversary of Lord Hanuman, with far greater gaiety, reports Shahira Naim

As long as eminent jurist L. M. Singhvi was alive, he first greeted the present-day Raja of Ayodhya, Vimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra, on Deepawali before he wished anyone else, reveals poet-prince of Ayodhya Yatinder Mishra, reclining on the sofa of his majestic Rajsadan baithak.

Raja of Ayodhya Vimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra and Rajkumar Yatindra Mishra at the royal palace

It was hundreds of years ago that another prince of Ayodhya had returned from a 14-year exile, which had concluded with a decisive victory over the then King of Lanka. To celebrate the occasion, the people of his kingdom lit diyas, and the tradition continues till this day, marking the celebration of the festival of lights — Deepawali — all over India.

While for the rest of the world Deepawali is associated with Lord Ram’s return to Ayodhya, the collective memory of the city does not document this event in the grand manner that it does other occasions associated with its beloved prince.

Chhoti Diwali — the day after Dhanteras — is, however, celebrated in a special fashion in Ayodhya. It is said to be the birth anniversary of Lord Hanuman. The Hanumangarhi Temple is spruced up and beautifully lit with diyas on this occasion, says Yatindra.

"While in the rest of the country, the Gauri Ganesh Puja marks the occasion, in Ayodhya, we pray to Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesh and also to Lord Hanuman," points out Yatindra.

Dr Y. P. Singh, director of the state government’s Ayodhya Shodh Sansthan, a repository of every aspect of the life Lord Ram and the Ramayana, tells about another ritual particular to the region of Awadh. "In the villages, people burn a few dried stalks of the wheat plant on amavasya (moonless night) of Deepawali. From a distance, the flames present an exquisite picture, symbolising Lanka dahan or the burning of Lanka."

The sansthan, a treasure trove for a Ramayana researcher, has scenic Mithila paintings, Odisha’s Pata Chitra, Tanjore paintings, murals and wooden toys depicting many scenes from the life of Lord Ram. The most popular are episodes from his childhood, wedding and exile. Even here, there is no pictorial documentation of the people of Ayodhya celebrating Deepawali on the occasion of his return.

Admitting the complete absence of this event in any visual documentation, either in the folk or classical traditions, Dr Kumud Singh, professor of fine arts at Faizabad’s Saket Degree College, says that in books and paintings one finds many unusual depictions, including the killing of Ravana or the chopping off of Surupnakha’s nose. "But I have not come across a single visual of Deepawali being celebrated by the people of Ayodhya on the return of their beloved prince."

According to journalist Suman Gupta, "Three occasions relating to Lord Ram’s life are celebrated with great enthusiasm in the city. The first is his birth, celebrated as Chaitya Ram Navami. There is a festival-like atmosphere at the picturesque Kanak Bhavan Temple built by the Maharani of Orccha, where badhaiya (folk songs for the occasion of childbirth) are sung with gusto."

The second occasion is the Ram Vivah, celebrated on panchami in the month of Margshirsh. Hundreds of flower-bedecked Ram baraats, a replica of the original, are taken out by the people of the city.

The third occasion is the Sawan mela, celebrated in the city during the month of Shrawan when devotees place the idols of deities Ram and Sita on a jhula (swing) celebrating the joyous life-giving rains after the scorching Indian summer. Similar jhulas are visible in the hundreds of temples that mark the holy city.

Commenting on the absence of any unique celebration in Ayodhya to mark Deepawali, editor of Janmorcha and general secretary of the Ramayan Mela Samiti, Shitla Singh says that with the changing times Lakshmi Puja has become the central theme of Deepawali, with the focus gradually shifting to pleasing the Goddess of Wealth at any cost.

On the occasion of Ram Vivah, a Ramayan mela is held every year in Ayodhya. Sponsored by the state’s Department of Culture, the mela is a seminar or cultural exchange on various significant aspects of Lord Ram’s life and the epic Ramayana.

"As the tradition of Ram katha exists in 65 countries and is staged in different forms in 29 countries — one can not ignore its immense potential to connect people of different cultures, countries and religions", says Shitla Singh.

However, chief priest of the Ram Janam Bhumi (RJB) makeshift temple Acharya Satyendra Das says that praying to the Goddess of Wealth during Deepawali has been practised from the Vedic times, much before the return of Ram.

"Lighting of diyas as a symbol of victory of the good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and prosperity over deprivation has been a part of the Indian consciousness since time immemorial. Till today, we light a diya to mark the beginning of any function. Similarly, the people of Ayodhya rejoiced by lighting diyas when Lord Ram returned after his exile."

According to Das, there is no special function in Ayodhya on this occasion, as unlike the other celebrations associated with Lord Ram Deepawali had been there much before his return and just happened to coincide with his homecoming.

HOME