Ram Lila

Any public dramatic presentation of the
Ramayana, the earlier of the two great
Hindu epics. The epic’s basic plot
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Ram Lila
An effigy of Ravana from the Ram Lila, a dramatic presentation of the Ramcharitmanas.
revolves around the unjust exile of the
god-king Rama; the abduction of
Rama’s wife Sita by Ravana, the
demon-king of Lanka; and Rama’s
search to regain Sita, a struggle that
ultimately ends in Ravana’s death. Ram
Lilas are prominent during the autumn
in northern India, and usually correspond with the festival of Dussehra
(October–November), which celebrates
Rama’s victory over Ravana and thus the
symbolic triumph of good over evil. Late
in the nineteenth century the Ram Lilas
were important symbolic vehicles for
demonstrating pride in Indian culture.
Additionally, they were considered a
coded symbol of resistance to British
rule. Today, Ram Lilas can be found
throughout northern India in many of
the larger cities, while neighborhood
associations often sponsor their own
local productions.
The longest, most elaborate, and
arguably the oldest Ram Lila is held at
Ramnagar, the fortified town where the
kings of Benares reside. The Ramnagar
Ram Lila was begun in the early nineteenth century, during the reign of Udit
Narayan Singh, and the Maharaja of
Benares still plays an important symbolic
role in the production even though he
no longer wields temporal power over
the city. It lasts for thirty-one days, during which the action moves to different
places in and around Ramnagar.
Thousands of faithful viewers follow the
drama for the entire month, but on peak
days the audience can reach 100,000.
For further information on the Ram Lila,
see Norvin Hein, The Miracle Plays of
Mathura, 1972; and Anaradha Kapur,
Actors, Pilgrims, Kings, and Gods, 1990.