Balangir: In an instance of communal harmony, both Hindus and Muslims take part in the Ramleela that is organised for the last 100 years in Tamia under Patnagarh block in Balangir district of Odisha.
As per reports, late Kirtichandra Panda, late Sayed Abdul Malik, and late Madan Panda had started Ramleela, the story of the Hindu God Shree Ram, 100 years ago in Tamia with the help of the villagers. Even today members of both Hindu and Muslim communities take part in this drama.
With the coming of the month of Chaitra, everybody from all the communities in Tamia village becomes happy as that is the time for Ramleela. The whole village enjoys the drama show at night. Earlier this show was going on for one month and four days, but these days it is organised for 9 days which are the important episodes of Ramleela. The story begins with the birth of Shree Ram and ends with his coronation of the throne of Ayodhya, the then capital city of the Surya Dynasty. And not that only the drama is organised, but people who participate in the drama, also observe certain practices. Like, all of them, including the Hindu and Muslim participants, consumes meal only for once, and they eat Arua rice.
There are temples in the village as well as mosques. The holy Bhagabata is read over in the temple while Koran is read out in the mosque.
The people of Hindu and Muslim community in Tamia observe their respective festivals but the whole villagers respect each other’s religious thoughts.
The Ramleela team of Tamia has a wish to stage their Ramleela show someday in the Rabindra Mandap stage of Bhubaneswar.
Ms Kalinga