We are currently in the festive season in India, not just because of the Commonwealth Games. There is a nine-day festival called Navratna in which, amongst other things, the entire Ramayana is performed throughout India in events called Ram Lila.
The Ramayana is one of the key Hindu scriptures and tells a very long story about battles between good and evil. Ram Lila is the enactment of the long saga, and takes place over many nights. There are national Ram Lilas, and practically every community has a Ram Lila of its own. I'm currently staying in Ram Nagar, Pahar Ganj and the local Ram Lila is being conducted in the park right next door.
It is massively crowded, and people wander in and out throughout the show. They all know the plot and clap and shout whenever the mood takes them. It's very much like an English Christmas pantomime: it only occurs at a certain festive time of the year, everyone knows all the stories, the costumes are garish and the makeup outlandish, the audience participates with the actors, and the amatuer acting is (what can I say?) enthusiastic!
I've been to a few nights and they are great fun. I don't understand the words, but I've got a basic grasp of the story of the Ramayana, so I can work out what's going on. If not, I just sit back and enjoy the spectacle!
No comments:
Post a Comment