The verse, “Varsha Vigat Sharad Ritu Aai. Lakshman Dekhu Param Suhai,” penned by Tulsidas, beautifully captures the essence of the autumn season. The atmosphere, imbued with the scent of festivity and joy, heralds the arrival of Ramlila’s echoes. The mind becomes Ram-filled, and childhood memories resurface, evoking nostalgia. While the demands of daily life limit the time for attending Ramlila performances, the spirit remains. The invaluable tradition of Kashi has been witnessed flourishing in various locations, as Ramlilas possess an unparalleled power. Regardless of circumstances, Ramlilas endure.
The connection to Ramlila stems from roots in Ayodhya and Banaras, both sacred grounds. Ayodhya, the setting of the Treta Yuga, witnessed the living spaces of Ram’s life, while in the 16th century, Tulsidas initiated Ramlila to spread Ram’s story. The understanding of Ram’s narrative through the Ramayana and Ramcharitmanas may be debated, but there is no doubt that Ramlilas in North India brought the story to every household.
The exact origins of Ramlilas are uncertain, but when Goswami Tulsidas (1497-1623) depicted Lord Ram’s character in the Awadhi language in Ramcharit Manas in 1500 AD, it led to the staging of Ramlila in North India. Tulsidas faced the challenge of marketing the book and reaching the masses. The book faced challenges from scholars who were unhappy that Tulsidas was using the language of the people rather than Sanskrit. With no access to modern forms of media, and the use of handwritten copies, Tulsidas adopted Ramlila to propagate his work. He began narrating the Ramkatha to the masses and started performing Ramlilas across North India. The performance was successful, and Ramlilas gained popularity. It is said that Tulsidas’s motive was to instill confidence in the people that the tyrannical Mughal rule would end, just as Ravana’s reign ended during Ram’s era.
Megha Bhagat of Banaras is considered the pioneer of Ramlila. Tulsidas initiated the performances from the Tulsi Akhada. He took the help of his friend Megha Bhagat. Megha Bhagat taught Sanskrit to children in the Kamachha area of Varanasi. He also performed Ramlila based on the Valmiki Ramayana, but that was not very popular. Tulsidas requested Megha Bhagat to stage the Ramlila based on Manas. Megha Bhagat fulfilled the request. This began gaining popularity among people. This story was also adopted by Amritlal Nagar in his novel Manas ka Hans, depicting the character of Megha Bhagat.
Megha Bhagat’s steadfastness and devotion were inspirational to Tulsidas. He is considered the father of Ramlila in Banaras. However, there is limited information on his personal life, except that he was a close friend and devotee of Goswami Tulsidas. The Ramlila started by him still happens every year and is known as the Ramlila of Nati Imli. Krishna Dutt Mishra, the author of Gautam Chandrika, mentioned Megha Bhagat-“Kamala Ke Megha Bhagat Kari Surdhuni Nahan. Tulsi Charan Pakhari Grih Bhajat Ram Dhanuban.”
Acharya Vishwanath Prasad Mishra wrote about him that a Ramlila in Varanasi is famous in the name of Ramlila Chitrakoot or Nati Imli Ramlila. It is believed that the Ramlila used to take place earlier according to Valmiki Ramayana in the place of Chitrakoot in Varanasi. Later, Megha Bhagat started the Ramlila according to Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas.
