Ramlila draws audience despite digitisation, technology

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 28

In the world of digitisation, when technology has taken over entertainment mass media, too, sticking to traditional modes of entertainment is an uphill task.

Nonetheless, this cannot hold true when it comes to organising the Ramlila, a traditional art form, depicting the life of Lord Rama before the Dasehra festival. People still cherish and enjoy this art form. They spare time to watch Ramlila held in their area. Amritsar being the holy city, there is a different kind of atmosphere and enthusiasm, especially in the walled city where people celebrate every festival with gusto.

Ram Leela is organised in different parts of the city. While there are some temple committees that organise Ramlila every year with big budgets, there are youth clubs that also hold the Ramlila functions with their limited resources.

The audience includes small and young children besides women and elderly people from all walks of life. A little young boy, Arjun, in Bhalla Colony in the Chheharta area has come with his mother and father to watch the programme. “I have come for the second time. I enjoy it a lot. My parents told me the story of Lord Rama and watching it in the drama form is really entertaining,” he said.

Satish Manu, a resident of Bhalla colony, has been organising the Ramlila for nearly two decades.

“My club has limited resources but I make it a point to organise Ramlila every year not only to spread the message of brotherhood, but also to inculcate the moral values as shown by Lord Rama and other characters in the Hindu epic,” said Manu. He said the past one decade has seen a change in the way it was organised over a decade ago. “Now advanced music and lighting system is used for creating an impact among the audience,” he said. Earlier, it was done through traditional music instruments like ‘dholak’ and harmonium, etc.

Sharvan Kumar, the director of the Ramlila at Bhalla Colony, has been directing Ram Leela for the past 19 years. He said besides costumes, stress is also laid on stage and expressions.

They work without any consideration for remuneration. “When the audience come and even touch our feet when we are dressed up as Rama, Laxmana or Hanuman, we feel humbled,” said Prashant Johal, who was performs the role of Lord Hanuman.

But there are certain things that are mandatory for the artistes. “We remain barefoot, sleep on the floor and use no leather items for one month,” said Nitin Sharma, who has been playing the role of Lord Rama for the past four years.