"Ramlila tradition thrived in villages despite Mughal’s attempts to destroy Sanatan Dharma": UP CM Yogi

ucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 13 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said that when the Mughal invaders were trying to destroy the Sanatan religion and culture of India, Ramlila was being organized in every village, which reflected the inspiration of Ramcharitra Manas. 

During the release of a musical performance featuring Dr. Sameer Tripathi's soulful rendition of Shrimad Devi Bhagwat Mahapuran, the CM said, “It is believed that when we speak to our deity in our language during worship, the deity can hear us directly.” 

Ram Charitra Manas, composed by Saint Tulsidas in the medieval period, has already been made accessible to crores of listeners on YouTube by Medhaj Astro. It is said that every time Saint Tulsidas attempted to write a modern Sanskrit Ramayana, the text somehow got destroyed, CM Yogi added.

“Finally, Lord Vishwanath made an appearance in Kashi and instructed him to write his compositions in the language of the people rather than Sanskrit. At that time, Awadhi was an important dialect spoken by scores of people, and Tulsidas came to Ayodhya from Kashi. He started writing Ram Charitra Manas during this period”, he remarked.

Yogi Adityanath said that people still come together, shedding their caste biases, and perform during Ramlila. 

“India is the only country in the whole world where ‘Shakti’ (power) is worshiped twice a year. It is believed that whatever power is there in the world is in the form of ‘Goddess.’ We can worship her as Maa Bhagwati, Durga, Maa Saraswati, Maa Lakshmi, and Mahakali, the mother of the world," CM Yogi further said. 

"The followers of the Sanatan Hindu Dharma have been worshiping Shakti since ancient times. The forms may have changed, but people have been worshiping all the forms," CM Yogi added. 

Medhaj Astro's CMD Sameer Tripathi, his mother, Rekha Tripathi, Alka Tripathi, Gunjan Tripathi, STF's Additional Director General of Police Amitabh Yash etc. were present in the programme.