Raslila and Ramlila

This short volume introduces readers to the interrelated devotional theatres of Raslila or Krishnalila (the play of Krishna), and Ramlila (the play of Ram), in a clear, accessible style. Pamela Lothspeich does this through close textual analysis and extensive ethnographic fieldwork among professional and amateur performers in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where Raslila and Ramlila thrive. She first orients readers to Krishna and Ram as gods and literary figures, and explains how both genres of performance are in conversation with other forms of devotional theatre in north India. She also unravels how these styles of devotional performance spanning theatre, dance, music, procession, and ritual are tied to the 500-year history of charismatic leaders and movements within Hinduism, and patterns of pilgrimage to the sacred lands of Mathura-Vrindavan and Ayodhya, where Krishna and Ram, respectively, are thought to have lived. In the heart of the book, Lothspeich describes the chief episodes relating to the gods’ eternal play on earth, drawn from sources like the Bhagavad-Gita and Bhagavata Purana for Raslila, and the Ramcharitmanas and the Radheshyam Ramayan for Ramlila. She also describes the staging of many of these stories about Krishna and Ram, based on her observations of performances, especially in the vicinity of Mathura-Vrindavin and Bareilly, in Uttar Pradesh. To conclude, Lothspeich summarizes the current state and future prospects of Raslila and Ramlila, in both India and the Indian diaspora.