That
is the philosophy followed by the people of Ayodhya Research Institute (ARI),
an autonomous arm of the Department of Culture of the Uttar Pradesh government
who organize the longest running ‘Ramleela’ in the world known as ‘Anavarat
Ramleela’ at Ayodhya. Ramleela, the story of the life and times of Lord Ram, is
traditionally staged during the navratras culminating with the celebration of
Dussehra. But Anavarat (meaning longest running or unimpeded) Ramleela is a
continuous staging of the great epic.
Dear
to the people of Ayodhaya since its inception in 2004 by ARI at the Tulsi
Smarak Bhavan, where Tulsidas is alleged to have written the Ramcharitra Manas,
the longest running ramleela caught the attention of UNESCO which gave it the
status of a World’s Intangible Heritage. The idea was to have something similar
to Lord Krishna’s rasleela which is played throughout the year in Vrindavan
attracting many tourists. The Anavarat Ramleela has become a part of the
identity of Ayodhaya. “It was something this city was missing. This is Lord
Ram’s janmabhoomi and it is fitting that such an initiative was taken up here.
People of Ayodhaya really connect with it which is evident from the attendance
at the Bhavan” said Manoj Kamalkar, a regular visitor to the show.
One
of the major attractions of the Anavarat Ramleela is the different styles in
which the ramleela is presented here. There are troupes or performing artists
who come here from the farthest corners of the country with varied styles of
theatre. In the past ten years there have been more than sixty-five styles of
performances at the anavarat ramleela including Bundeli style, Brij style,
Bhojpuri style, Yaksh Gaan and Puppet Style. Each troupe performs for fifteen
days which makes it about 24 troupes in a year. These troupes of artists come
from places such as Allahabad, Ahmadabad, Bundelkhand, Jaipur, Orai,
Chhattisgarh and Karnataka.
The
show though had to be eventually halted after nine continuous years on April 1,
2013 due to severe financial crunch on the organizing committee for two days.
This followed a huge outcry by the public of Ayodhaya forcing the state
government to release funds immediately which saw the show resume on April 3,
2014. Since then the Anavarat Ramleela has been growing strong inviting
performing troupes from remote corners of the country as well as abroad such as
Nepal and Maldives. This year the show celebrates its tenth year on stage and
the connection it has forged with the people of Ayodhaya is ever stronger. “The
show has managed to bring Lord Ram close to our homes, our hearts. It is a
great way to continue our traditions and heritage” says a devout visitor who
comes often to the bhavan to watch the play after his evening prayers.
