In Uttarkashi’s Bhatwari block, a 120-year-old tradition does not follow the script of Ramlila. Most people in India celebrate the Coronation of Lord Rama while the village Gorshali does the Coronation of Vasuki Nag (the Serpent King).
This rare departure from the scriptures is attributable to a political quarrel which took place in 1904 between the regions of Tehri Princely State. This was backed by the “English Raja” of Harsil, Frederick “Pahari” Wilson.
The treasonous crowns of 1904 The tradition started in 1903 in the spiritual leadership of Motiram Nautiyal. From 1904, spies informed the King of Tehri that village actors are wearing or sporting royal crowns, which is seen as an insult to the throne. The King ordered an immediate ban on the performance. Timber magnates (associates of Frederick Wilson) and local chieftains reached a compromise to propitiate their ritual: the Deity Vasuki Nag will be crowned instead of a human king.
According to Surat Ram Nautiyal, former vice-chairman of the Char Dham Development Council, this lineage of Ramlila began in 1903. It was inaugurated by Alam Singh Chauhan at his residence under the spiritual guidance of his Gayatri Guru, the late Motiram Nautiyal.
Important information regarding Gorshali and Sangrali traditions. The physical “Tamra Patra” marking the inauguration of the ritual can still be sighted in the courtyard of the Vasuki Nag temple. The 14-Day Temple Promise: Actors will sleep on the floor of the temple and won’t leave the premises for 14 days. In Sangrali, six kilometres from Talc, a 122-year-old belief is steadfast: “Any childless man that plays Janaka will be blessed with a child.” It was started in 1903 by one, Alam Singh Chauhan.
The legendary British adventurer, Frederick Wilson, who revolutionised the timber trade in the Himalayas, sponsored this coronation. His patronage made a ritual that fused local cult serpent worship with the epic Ramayana. As a result, it is a cultural oddity anywhere else in the world.
According to Dr. Madhav Prasad Shastri and Surat Ram Nautiyal (former Vice Chairman of the Char Dham Development Council), the participants maintain rigorous spiritual discipline:
Actors commit a total of 14 days to the ritual, remaining on the temple premises and not returning to their homes for the duration. All participants sleep within the temple. Every morning, the troupe conducts a morning procession through the village to maintain the sanctity of the performance.