Guardian ( Trinidad and Tobago )
31 October 2024 ( Page 25 )
Cardiologist marks 5 decades in Ramleela
By SHASTRI BOODAN
For more than 50 years, Dr Mandreker Bahall, an
associate lecturer at the School of Medicine and The
UWI Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business,
has been an active participant in Ramleela.
A Hindu tradition that takes place every year before
Divali, Ramleela is a dramatic re-enactment of the
Ramayana that takes place over ten days. Dr Bahall
has been involved since his school days and has
been playing the role of Rawan the demon king for
more than a decade.
He said it is much more than a religious event as it
involves the community getting together in a social
setting and interacting positively.
Dr Bahall, a cardiologist, has mostly played on the
side of Rawan because it allows him to reflect on the
actions of the demon king.
“Rawan never knew how to control himself and he
became egoistic, which led to his downfall. We see
this happening in society where people cannot
control their power, knowledge and resources for
the better good and end up in a similar situation,”
he explained.
“Ramleela teaches me to humble myself. I remind
myself of that every year. We can have everything
but if we don’t have humility, we have nothing.”
Dr Bahall, who was involved in the recently
concluded Ramleela celebrations at the McBean
Recreation Grounds in Couva, said people are
starved for live entertainment and there should be
more locations for the regular staging of such
events. This can include setting up pavilions and
stages at recreation grounds so that those facilities
can be used for more than sports.
“The people in the country, from my research, are
starving for outdoor entertainment such as
Ramleela, bazaars and so on. We end up spending
most of our time in fast food places as comfort
zones. I have seen it across the country where
people who wish to relax go into a fast food outlet,
sit with their family and talk.
“Cultural bodies such as a Ramleela group can only
do so much. There needs to be a greater amount of
input from the Government to create these cultural
spaces,” he said.
PHOTOS BY SHASTRI BOODAN -
The burning of effigies of the demon king Rawan./
Dr Mandreker Bahall in the role of Rawan the
Demon King/
Ram (Matthew Dhanraj) stands victorious over the
fallen burning effigy of the demon king Rawan./
Rawan (Dr Mandreker Bahall) is carried on the
shoulders of fellow demons for the final battle with
Lord Ram/