Every year, communities in T&T come alive with the vibrant tradition of Ramleela, a sacred play that tells the story of Lord Rama, a Hindu god. Created by 17th century poet Tulsidas, it shows the triumph of good over evil.
Brought to Trinidad and Tobago by the East Indian indentured labourers, Ramleela is performed over several nights with drama. At the heart of the re-enactment are the towering effigies of Rawan and his brother Kumbhakarna, whose fiery end symbolises the triumph of good over evil.
This year, from October 3rd to 12th, the Mc Bean Recreation Ground will once again come alive between 6:30pm and 8:30pm, as actors, musicians, and craftsmen bring centuries-old story to life.
The Mc Bean Ramleela and Cultural Group is already hard at work preparing for this month’s spectacle. TTT News visited their “Rawan Yard” at Ramsons Transport Yard on the Old Southern Main Road to see how the magic begins.
Public Relations Officer of the Mc Bean Ramleela & Cultural Group, Karishma Ramoutar, said the process to construct the Rawan effigy begins with bamboo, the foundation of the massive structures, while bottles filled with water serve as weights to stabilise the frame.
She shared that their Rawan effigy, which will stand at an average height of 75 feet, takes several weeks to complete.
“He has taken maybe over a month inclusive of cutting the bamboo, splitting it, letting it dry, and then the others coming in and framing him up and all these things.”
She said it’s a project that takes weeks of careful work.
“Right now we just have the body and the legs here. The arms are being built separately, and we still have to add his head in.”
For President of the group Matthew Dhanraj, the Ramleela tradition holds deep significance, but he worries about its decline.
“In the past it would have 30-plus groups of Ramleela throughout the country, and unfortunately only maybe ten were able to survive to this day, so it is a dying tradition, it is a dying culture, it is a dying craft. So the people that volunteer their time, finances, and whatever materials they offer to the group to keep this tradition alive is really appreciated.”
He said the support from volunteers, sponsors, and the government helps keep the flame alive. Through social media, the group has also managed to expand its reach beyond the Mc Bean Recreation Ground.
“Ramleela, I would say, is a growing tourist attraction in Trinidad, especially, well, I could speak on behalf of my group; we started to grow heavily into social media to help us to get secure funding, sponsorship and attract players as well, and what we realise by this growing social media is that foreigners have been messaging us leading up to Ramleela all January, February: ‘When is Ramleela this year? What are the locations for Ramleela in Trinidad?'”
While the Mc Bean Recreation Ground can only accommodate up to 150 spectators, Mr. Dhanraj said their online reach has grown significantly.
“When we go live on social media across the platforms, TikTok, Instagram, every night over a 12-day period, we capture a million-plus views, so that’s a large reach for a small organisation. I think that’s where we kind of differentiate ourselves from other groups within the country, and we aim to attract tourists.”
‘Wimpy,’ one of the senior members of the group, said he’s encouraged by the energy and commitment of the younger generation.
“Over the last two to three years the group has had some changes and now is only young, we have young blood. These are young gentlemen here. Some of them – most of the guys here – are under 35, 22, you know, young, young people, so we know the Ramleela is in good hands in Mc Bean.”
One thing is for certain, it truly takes a village to get the effigies ready for Ramleela.
Demonstrating the process in making the Rawan effigy, Mr. Dhanraj said: “Ramleela isn’t about playing, but it have plenty thing you would learn in Ramleela: discipline, the knowledge about the scriptures, you could work as I say, in teams, so you know you’re building confidence in yourself and you will be able to work further.”