Masks and gestures tell the tale in silent Ramleela of Jhunjhunu’s Bisau

Jaipur: For most people, the main attraction when Ramleela takes centre stage around Dussehra every year is how character artists deliver their dialogues. Jhunjhunu's Bisau town, however, does it differently. The Ramleela here, staged for over 175 years and running, is silent, and the playacting is characterised not by dialogues, but by the characters' masks and gestures.
"More than 100 locals participate in this pantomime Ramleela.The couplets and shlokas of Ramayana are sung in the background, and anchors give a narration to explain its script," Shyam Sharma, one of the organisers of the Ramleela, told TOI.
But why the silence? "Almost 175 years ago, a sadhvi named Jamna gathered children and started the Ramleela at the Ramana Johar area of the village. At that time, perhaps because characters had difficulty in delivering the dialogues, the Ramleela was staged by putting masks on characters' faces, including that of Ravana's descendants. Since then, it settled into a tradition and Bisau Ramleela remained silent," said Kapilesh Sharma, director and anchor of the Bisau Ramleela.
As per tradition, characters of the Ramleela are given different masks to make their roles convincing, and everyone—from 10-year-old boys to 60-year-old men—is allowed to participate and playact.
Such is the craze for the Bisau Ramleela that a businessman now settled in Mumbai, who hails from Bisau, comes to participate in the Ramleela every year.
"I have been participating in this Ramleela since my childhood, and during Navratras, nothing comes in the way of my visit back home to my village and performing," says Kamal Poddar, a Mumbai businessman, who is playing the character of Parshuram this year.
Sharma, the Ramleela director whose family legacy this pantomime is, said, "My ancestors started this Ramleela, and I am proud to see the legacy being carried forward by the present generation. People of all castes, creeds, and religions come to watch our Ramleela."
Performed more as street theatre would, the Ramleela artists turn busy marketplaces into their stage, dispensing with any formal set-up to deliver their performances.
"There is no stage or backdrops as it is performed in an open ground in a rectangular shape. Also, we organise this Ramleela for 15 days until the Rajtilak of Lord Rama, which is organised on the full moon night after Dussehra," Kapilesh adds.
Vijay Chauhan, who plays the character of Ravana, said, "When I am in costume and mask, I can feel the character. Every year, like the audiences, we too wait for the Ramleela."
In Bisau, the excitement around the Ramleela cuts across communities. The village's Muslim families are often the ones who provide the surround sound—drums et al. Earlier, in fact, many also took on the masks and performed in the Ramleela too. "I played the role of Ravana—the demon king—long back. Now age does not allow me to act," 65-year-old Liyaqat Khan of Bisau village told TOI.
For Bisau village, the Ramleela is an annual festivity that unites everyone, with their actions speaking louder than words.