At Ayodhya, Durga Puja scores over Ramlila

ARSHAD AFZAL KHAN Posted: Oct 09, 2008 at 0044 hrs IST

Ayodhya, October 8 While effigies of Ravana and his clan will be set on fire all over the country on Dussera on Thursday, no such event will take in Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram.
Over the last 18 years, Durga Pujas have edged out Ramlilas and the burning of demons’ effigies in this town.

“The last Ramlila was held here in 1990 or 1991, after that Durga Pujas invaded the town,” said Anirudh Narain Jaiswal, who used to play Hanuman in the Ramlilas of the city. His troupe separated in 1991.

Ramchandra Tiwari, owner of a local theater which performed Ramlila for several years, has an interesting observation. “The popularity of Durga Puja increased as the Ram Temple movement gained strength,” he said. And the reason behind it, said Tiwari, was simple economics. “Organising Durga Puja brings more money to organisers than the traditional Ramlila,” said Tiwari.

“Putting up a stage, payment of wages to Ram Lila artistes, who start rehearsals couple of months before Dussera, managing their costumes—- it requires a lot of money,” Tiwari said. “Add to this the expenditure on effigies, each of which cost not less than Rs 1.5 lakh, and you get an idea of the money required for a Ram Lila,” he added.

Durga Puja pandals, on the other hand, are not very expensive. “You don’t have to pay any artistes, buy costumes, make effigies or arrange other paraphernalia,” said Tiwari.

This makes Durga Puja economically viable. “While Ramlila organisers were always worried about raising money even to meet their expenditure, Durga Puja organisers end up in making money,” he added. With the Ramlila and Dussera celebrations pushed in corner, old timers rue the loss of a centuries-old tradition. “The Ram Lila was our tradition, which the young generation doesn’t even know. It was the celebration of lord Ram’s victory over Ravana, the victory of good over evil. Now we bow before the power of Durga,” said Jaiswal.

It has also led to the eclipse of certain old crafts. For instance, Ram Murat Agrawal used to make effigies of Ravan, Kumbhakarn and Meghnad. “We had been doing this job since generations,” he said, adding that after the invasion of Durga Puja, the family was forced to adopt other businesses.
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