X - DIARY PAGE-26 OCTOBER 2002

DAIRY PAGE - 26 OCTOBER 2002

My morning started with prayers. A very bright morning. The air all
around seemed to speak out and tell that winter is round the
corner.

Today I came across an old diary and while going through some of the
pages, I read about the weekend that I had spent in my village to see
the Jatra.

I am speaking of those days of my life which relates to a few years
back. One fine morning I got a message through one of our farmers, who
works in our fields that we should visit our village because Jatra's
were going on there. This was all because I had never seen a Jatra
earlier and had said that I would try to be present myself if I was
informed at the right time. It was Friday evening. The best way to
travel was to use one's own means of transport. I knew that I would
spend my weekend and accordingly packed up my bag.

Left home with my family at about five in the evening. The journey of
50 kilometers would take around two hours. 80 percent of the first lap
of the journey was comfortable the roads were in very good condition.
But one turn from the main road on to the kachcha road (mud road) and
the
journey was really horrible. It was dusk when the car was travelling
along the narrow muddy road. The rains had washed away the road at many
places creating slopes and even pot holes. Bumps and bumps and bumps,
and sudden jerks threw us from one side to another in the car. Even
sudden brakes had to be applied because it was dusk and farmers were
returning home with their pair of bullocks and ploughs. They looked so
tired. Their legs were covered with mud and they walked on the uneven
road bare-footed. So used to, were their legs to tread and travel on
this road that it did not hurt the naked feet. The fore and hind legs
of the bullocks were equally muddy.

On the other hand, those farmers who grew vegetables in their fields,
had plucked their yields, washed and cleaned them and had put them into
big bamboo baskets. These baskets they tied to the carriers at the back
of their bicycles. The weight was so much that the person was unable to
ride his bicycle, instead, he walked along with the cycle pushing it
forward all the way by holding the handles very firmly. These fresh
vegetables were on the way to the market for the waiting customers. Now
and then a stray cat or a dog or even hens did run across the road
suddenly before the car making it stop with a sudden brake to save the
life of these small creatures.

At last we reached our village home. After a wash, sat down for dinner.
Here there was no pipeline water supply and so well water was pulled
out in a bucket with the help of a rope. So different a life but also
lots of people around to help you out.

As night fell, and time began to travel, around 11p.m. a loud music
could be heard. This was an alert that the Jatra was going to start. I
got ready, and accompanied with other ladies of neighbourhood, I walked
down to the place where the Jatra was being staged.

To tell more about Jatra's in villages, it would be explaining plainly
that it was stage acting in an open air stage where the villagers put
up the stage with the help of a few charpoy's (plain wooden bed).
Microphones were hung overhead to catch the voices and reach the
people's ears over the loud speaker. The stage is open on all the four
sides viewed by audience from all around it. Entry on to the stage is
from one side and the band of musicians sit just near the stage
entrance. Sufficient lighting arrangements are made. The actors wear
very colourful costumes and as scenes are enacted mostly form the epic
Ramayana, the actors use swords and bows and arrows as our mythology
relates the names of these weapons.

Along with the others I went and sat on the verandah of a thatched
house. Houses were there along the two sides of a road and the middle
of the road was blocked to put up the stage. It did not create any
inconvenience to the villagers as no cars or buses ran down this road.
The two sides of the road and the verandah's of the houses were the
most convenient places to sit and see the Jatra. The walls of these
houses were made of mud and so also the verandah. The verandah was
raised much above the road level. The walls were decorated with
beautiful artistic rural art, done by the ladies of the household with
white paint made of chalk dissolved in water.

Drums of different kinds, flute, tabla and harmonium were the musical
instruments used by the musicians. There were singers also . The loud
music could be heard over the loud speaker, and the music travelled in
the air far and wide.

The Jatra started, the first scene came up. The characters of King
Dasarath and his second Queen Kayikayi came up on the stage. Here
Kayikayi asked King Dasarath to fulfill the boon that he had promised
earlier. She wanted her wish to be fulfilled by making her son Bharat
the King of Ayodhya and send Rama, the eldest son of that kingdom, to
the forest on a fourteen years exile. This was a very sad scene. This
scene ended and another set of actors came on to the stage. They were
Rama, Laxman and Sita bidding good bye to their parents and leaving for
their fourteen years stay in the forest.

By the time the Jatra ended it was close to day break. The eastern sky
looked red for the sun was going to rise. In between the Jatra I had
dosed off and missed some parts. The ladies who were with me were
typical village women, among whom some of them had never tread beyond
the village boundaries and never had the opportunity of seeing a movie
or a drama on stage. They were so innocent and ignorant of what was
happening all around outside and only sought great pleasure once in a
while in these sorts of entertainments. Soon I was back home, after
freshening up and having breakfast, I fell into a deep sleep only to be
awakened at lunch time.

This was the second day. I had taken a lot of rest and compensated my
sleep and was ready for this day's Jatra. Night fell and along with my
son I was seated in the place like the previous day. This scene was
about the golden deer. On stage there came a golden deer and ran out.
Sita, Rama and Laxman were on the stage. Seeing the golden deer Sita
asked Rama to go and get it for her. Rama left telling Laxman to take
care of Sita in his absence. But soon they heard the voice of Rama
calling Laxman for help. Laxman drew a line and told Sita not to cross
over it for if she remained within this boundary no harm would come to
her. He left and soon there was a sadhu before Sita's hut asking for
alms. She offered him alms without crossing the line but the sadhu
insisted that she should cross over the line and offer him the alms. As
soon as she stepped out side the 'Laxman Rekha' the sadhu caught hold
of her hand and dragged her away with him. This sadhu was the Demon
King Ravana who had come to kidnap Sita to take revenge on Rama. Before
the next scene was to start outside the stage Sita was seen smoking a
biri (tobacco leaf rolled up and used for smoking}. My little child saw
this and was stunned at this and said loudly "See, see, Sita is a girl
and is smoking a biri". Those who heard him looked at him and laughed.
Somehow I made him sit down quietly.

Actually when lady characters said their dialogues it was a male voice
that we heard. The lady next to me said that in the village Jatra's the
ladies did not work on the stage.

The Jatra was over and before daybreak we were back home. That morning,
our neighbour knocked at our door. With him was another person. He
called my son and said, Can you recognize him, he is Sita".

The child examined him with wide eyes and said, "Is Sita a boy?"

The person then told him that a man was doing a woman's role. I don't
how much of it he understood then.

After that I did not get a chance to see a Jatra for life had been very
busy. Mostly in every Indian household the children know the stories
from the Ramayana but seeing it being acted on the stage is
wonderful.

For me a page from my diary is a sweet memory so close to my
heart.

My day ended with sweet thoughts. With prayers packed up for bed.

11.10 p.m.