an open-air ramayana. 119
wrapped betel nuts with spices) to the gods to eat. The he took out more
panand asked Ram to touch it to his lips and give it back as prasad.Wo r -
ship also includes touching the gods’ feet whenever possible, often reach-
ing for them while they are being carried through the crowds on the shoul-
ders of bearers.
- They travel. Most come from Varanasi city, which means crossing the
Ganga by boat, bus, bicycle, horse cart, rickshaw, or foot. (Few come by
car or motorcycle.) Once in the Ramlila, they cover impressive distances
during the mobile performance, which involves as much as eight miles’
walking in a single night for the faithful who go to every scene.
One traditional practice is to go barefoot. I have heard two explanations
for this: (a) Ram went barefoot during his exile, and this is a way for the
devotee to identify with him; (b) you don’t wear shoes in a temple, and the
entire Ramlila ground, sanctified by God ’s presence, is like a temple.
Nearly all the actors, directors, and workers go barefoot, and so did I for
most of two years’ attendance.
- They act out parts in the drama. Huge crowds play “huge crowds.” They
function as the citizens of Ayodhya who follow Ram as he goes off into
exile. They become the wedding guests when the four brothers are mar-
ried. Women in the audience sing gali,the humorous insult songs sung by
women at weddings. When Bharat does the circumambulation of Chi-
trakut, thousands jump up and march with him, vigorously shouting
“Sitaram” and touching the earth as they pass the sacred well. People of
Ramnagar recite poems of praise from the rooftops on coronation day, and
the actors stop in their tracks to listen. This reflects Tulsidas’s description
of how people recited poetry on joyous occasions like Ram’s birth and
coronation.
Again and again the audience and citizens of Ramnagar act out what
Tulsidas narrates. They drop their work and rush to gaze at the gods as
they pass through town or village. They move with processions or climb
on roofs to see. They illumine triumphant fireworks from their balconies as
Ram’s chariot returns slowly from exile. Some climb onto the chariot to
make offerings. Others decorate their homes and shops just as the citizens
of Ayodhya are said to have decorated theirs.
- People carve out special roles for themselves. One man for several decades
donated the special flower garlands that are placed on the gods at the clos-
