Unique Tradition: Ramleela in Pilibhit Delays Ravana’s Death to Honor Fallen Actors | Agra News – Times of India

PILIBHIT: In the 125-year-old Ramleela of Bisalpur town in Pilibhit, the death scene of Ravana is performed a day after Dussehra. This unique tradition was established after three actors who played Ravana died during the enactment of the climax over the years.
Dinesh Rastogi, 56, who currently plays Ravana, lost his father while the latter was performing the same role.He said, “Munshi Chedalal while portraying Ravana died in 1962 on Dussehra. Then in 1978, Motilal, who also played Ravana, died again on Dussehra. In 1987, my father, Kallu Mal alias Ganga Vishnu, passed away while enacting the same death scene. After these incidents, the tradition of Ramleela was changed, and Ravana’s death scene is now performed a day after Dussehra.”
Rastogi added: “Sometimes, I feel we are connected to Ravana. My brother, too, died on Dussehra. I have been performing as Ravana for years now. My jewellery shop is named after Ravana. Here in Bisalpur, people have high regard for Ravana, and this is our identity.”
Bisalpur Ramleela Committee president, Gangadhar Dubey, said, “The fair here is 125 years old. People from the Kathariya community, who came from Budaun, started this fair. They used to perform Ramleela while grazing cattle near the Guleshwar Nath temple. Observing their true emotions, the then tehsildar Bhup Singh — in the 1930s — gave the performance a formal structure. And the gram samaj land was reserved for the Ramleela fair.”
Dubey added: “Initially, the fair was small, but now it takes place on a large, open field. Other districts have contacted our committee to hold fairs, but we declined those proposals.”
About the Bisalpur Ramleela, he also said artistes from outside are invited to act, but only locals play the roles of Ravana and Lord Ram. “Three artistes have lost lives playing the role of the demon-king on stage on Dussehra, which is why we don’t perform Ravana’s death scene on the auspicious day. It is performed a day later.”
Vishnu Goyal, the Ramleela committee’s ex-president, now in his 80s, told TOI: “In 1987, when Kallu Mal was playing the role of Ravana, hundreds of people came to the Ramleela ground. There were administrative and police officers too. When Lord Ram’s arrow hit Kallu, he fell on the ground saying ‘Ram Ram’. Everyone was mesmerised by the act as it looked real. Later we found that Kallu had actually died. He was cremated in the same clothes. People here take blessings of Ravana as well.”