The Story of Ram Leela

A young friend at school gave a wonderful parting gift, 

As a project he had to talk with an adult, ask her / him to tell a story from her / his life, and write it down, like a book, with illustrations and all, 

When he approached me I wondered for a bit on what to talk about - a story that would be a interesting for him as well,

I needed to stay away from complicating and ensure that it enthused him enough to write about it, 

 

Initially my mind wandered to my days in Agraa and Baghmara, but then I settled for time in Banaras, the Ramleela, 

We talked a few times, it was fun to engage with him on the event, (locally referred to as the mela, the Ramleela at Ramnagar takes place over a month and at different spots across Ramnagar, there is no use  of electricity despite the large numbers it attracts), 

It is special for me for multiple reasons, but it is a also kind of event he has never been a part of, this made our interactions all the more fun, 

We discussed the first draft he put in place, he had connected some of the dots nicely, especially at the beginning, 

His classmates too kept me updated on how the project was progressing, 

There was a happiness in this short journey with him, to see his face as we talked, to listen to his questions, and of course to see the book (these scans form a small part of the book),

More on the Ramleela here