The enigmatic ‘Green' Ramchandra of Bengal

 

Bengal worships the ‘Maryada Purushottam’ (Ideal Man) or the ‘Green' Ramchandra who resembles a warrior-king and wears a prominent moustache … a look that is much more historically consistent with Bengal’s royal history and the life of a prince living in the forest for fourteen years. Krittibas Ojha’s ‘Ramayana’ / ‘Sri Ram Panchali’, the 15th-century Bengali adaptation of the ancient Sanskrit epic, also refers to Sri Ramchandra’s green complexion which is radically different from the North Indian depiction of Lord Ram. This depiction is known as ‘Durba-dol Ram’ or ‘Nava Durba Dol’ (Fresh Green Grass) manifestation showing his humility … or lack of ego just like the sacred Durba grass that is tread underfoot. In recent times, I visited a few places where ‘Durba-dol Ram’ is being worshipped for centuries.

The Brindaban Chandra Math complex in Guptipara (Hooghly) built in the 17^th /18th centuries enshrines the idol of ‘Green Ram’ along with Sita and Lakshman. The conclave has four temples … and one of them is dedicated to Sri Ramchandra. The temple is decorated with intricate terracotta depicting scenes from the Ramayana. It is believed that the temple was built by Raja Harish Chandra Ray around 1822 ... but the idol dates further back in time. A local devotee of Lord Ram (Ramkanta) once went to Ajodhya for pilgrimage and brought back a ‘Shaligram Shila’ by divine grace. He enshrined it in a temple near the Bhagirathi River which was unfortunately washed away in flood. The idol survived … and is now worshipped in the Guptipara temple complex. 

Ram Temple. Brindaban Chandra Math of Guptipara

There is an interesting anecdote associated with this temple. During the reign of Alivardi Khan, the Nawab of Bengal (1740-1756) it was reported that Brindaban Chandra had not paid taxes for a plot of land in his name. The Nawab summoned Brindaban Chandra to his court for trial. He had no idea that Brindaban Chandra was none other than Lord Krishna. The worshippers made a replica of the deity and took it to Alivardi Khan. The Nawab was astonished to see the deity on trial and immediately waived off all dues and gave permission to build a temple for Brindaban Chandra. The temple stands in the eastern-side of the conclave and enshrines images of Ramchandra, Lakshman and Sita in the sanctum sanctorum.

Ramchandra in  Brindaban Chandra Math 

Ramrajatala (Howrah) derives its name from the presence of a Ram Temple and its 300-year-old tradition of ‘Ram Puja’. Ramchandra (also, ‘Ram Thakur’) here is depicted in green and has a moustache. He is worshipped along with Sita, Lakshman, Hanuman and several other deities. This worship began in the 18th-century when Zamindar Ayodhyaram Chowdhury received a divine directive to worship Ramchandra. The Chowdhury family helped Nawab Alivardi Khan to resist the Maratha invaders (bargees) who raided Bengal repeatedly during this time. As a reward, the Nawab gifted Ayodhyaram the Zamindari of Ramrajatala and its adjoining areas. As per legend the Zamindar saw Ram’s reflection on River Ganges while he was taking his daily bath and started the Ram worship in 1740. The local people initially opposed him as they worshipped Goddess Saraswati. However, the matter was settled when the Zamindar agreed to place the image of Saraswati above the image of Ramchandra … and thus, two traditions blended into one. The festivities in Ramrajatala start from Ramnavami and continue for nearly three months.

Ramchandra in  Ramrajatala

Ram Puja at Ramrajatala 

Ramchandra is also worshipped in the ‘Boro’ (Elder) Goswami Bari of Santipur (Nadia) for around 300 years as ‘Raghunath Jiu’. He is depicted as a “Warrior-King” with a green complexion and a prominent moustache. The Goswami family also initiated the Ram-Rathyatra in Bengal, where Lord Ram (Raghunath) is taken along with Lord Jagannath out in a chariot. As per the tradition of several scions of the Goswami family of Santipur, Sri Raghunath Jiu is the chief deity of Rathyatra.

Nat Mandir. Boro’Goswami Bari of Santipur 

Photo of Raghunath Jiu

Ramchandra has been a part of the socio-cultural and religious traditions of Bengal since the rise of the Bhakti Movement of the 15^th and 16^th centuries when Sri Chaitanya popularized the worship of Krishna and Ram as the supreme manifestations of Vishnu. In fact, Ram was the household deity (kul devta) of Jayananda, the biographer of Sri Chaityna, and his family members practiced ‘Ramayat Vaishnavism’ - a sect of Vaishnavism that venerates Ram-Sita - which pre-dated Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Gaudiya Vaishnavism gained prominence in Bengal owing to the immense popularity of Sri Chaityna but it was never entirely wiped out. Interestingly, though Sri Chaitanya himself was more popular than Ramchandra, he himself worshipped Ram and Krishna. 

Krittibas Ojha’s ‘Ramayana’ has remained popular for centuries, stories of Ram-Sita were popular in Bengal’s folk art forms such as, Jatra-Pala (folk theatre), Chhou Naach (masked dance) of Purulia and Patachitra (scroll painting) of Midnapore / Burdwan throughout the 18th / 19th centuries. The legacy of Sri Ramchandra retains a prominent place in the Bengal’s cultural consciousness … more artistic and intellectual, rather than devotional … as Sri Ramchandra never really gained mass popularity in a religious sense as in other regions of the country.