Lucknow Ramlila to break a 300-year-old tradition

As the childhood memories of three major effigies being burned on the occasion of Dussehra have been engraved on our minds, to see curtains being drawn on a historic tradition at the centuries-old Aishbagh Ramlila in Lucknow this year, might actually be hard. The Ramlila committee has decided to discontinue the 300-year-old practice of burning effigies of Kumbhkaran and Meghnad along with that of Ravan this Dussehra.
The organizers, after studying Ramayana texts thoroughly, mention that Kumbhkaran and Meghnad had tried to dissuade Ravana from fighting against Lord Ram initially even though they ended up participating in the war too. Hence, the committee has decided to do away with the burning of their effigies.
The idea was first mooted by the Aishbagh Dussehra and Ramlila Committee president Harishchandra Agrawal and secretary Aditya Dwivedi five years ago, but it was rejected by other members on the grounds that burning effigies of the trio was part of a 300-year-old tradition.

“A thorough reading of Ramcharitmanas and other versions of the Ramayana reveals that Ravana’s son Meghanad had told him that Lord Ram was an incarnation of Vishnu and they should not wage war against him. Ravana’s brother Kumbhkarna, on the other hand, told him that Sita, whom the Lanka king had kidnapped, was none other than Jagdamba and if he doesn’t free her, he might end up losing everything, including his life. However, Ravana ignored their suggestions and ordered them to fight. This is why, we thought, burning effigies of Meghan and Kumbhkarna is wrong,” Dwivedi told
The tradition to burn effigies was introduced about three centuries ago. Both traditions were conducted by seers till the 1857 first war of independence. The nawabs of Lucknow also used to visit the Ramlila. After the uprising, the celebrations were carried forward by social workers.