The Ramlila of Ramnagar A study in text context and performance

Abstract

The Ramlila in North India is an important theatrical genre which provides an newlineopportunity for the young and old, rich and poor to come together for 16 to 20 days newlinepreceding Dussehra to witness this vast pageant of human life. The dramatic spectacle newlinevaries from place to place but everywhere two elements are common: the first is the newlinetheme which by and large is selected from the Ramcharitmanasa of Tulsidasa; and newlineother is a tableau-like framework where one moves from one static picture to the newlineother. Two Ramlilas are considered the oldest Ramlila of North India as well as newlineIndia Ramlila at Nati Imali and Ramlila at Assi Ghat in Banaras which had been newlinestarted by Megha Bhagat, a disciple of Tulsidas and Tulsidas himself in the early newlineseventeenth century. newline