When Sita is kidnapped by Ravan, Hanuman is sent by Ram to find her and eventually locates her in Lanka. After this follows the famous battle between Ram and Ravan, in which the former emerges victorious.
When Sita is kidnapped by Ravan, Hanuman is sent by Ram to find her and eventually locates her in Lanka. After this follows the famous battle between Ram and Ravan, in which the former emerges victorious. Eventually, Sita is made to walk on fire to prove her chastity. Many eras have passed, but the battles between good and evil continue, as do the ordeals and tests women have to go through under the vigilant eyes of the moral brigade. The relevance of the mythological tale in present society, larger-than-life presentation and love for tradition have kept alive a thriving culture of Ramlilas in the city. “The younger generation loves spending their time indoors in front of their computers. To generate an interest among them, this year we have introduced live streaming of our Ramlila online for mobiles and tablets. In addition, the stage has a brilliant effect of water, earth and sky, LED lighting and fantastic sound. For instance, on the day Ravan’s effigy will be burnt, one can see his eyeballs moving and it will also shout ‘Hey Ram’,” says Arjun Kumar, secretary, Luv Kush Ramlila Committee, that organises the Ramlila near Red Fort every year. They are also sending information about their Ramlila through 3 crore emails and SMSes to the youth. The Nav Shri Dharmik Lila Committee, which holds its Ramlila opposite Lav Kush Ramlila, is equally popular. “This time we have gone indepth and picked up interesting incidents from Ramayana that have not been highlighted and depicted much. Thus, the narrative will have additional scenes and incidents. In addition, for Sita’s swayamvar, we have a hydraulic stage and for Hanuman flying through the air carrying sanjeevani booti we will be using cranes. The realistic effect will help make the presentation more exciting for the present generation,” says Hari Chand Agarwal, president, Nav Shri Dharmik Lila Committee. The Ramlila is also using the platform for voicing concerns about important socio-political issues like women safety, corruption and voting rights of citizens. “Where else would you get close to 15000 people in one place! We will also burn a fourth effigy to protest against those who harass women along with Ravan, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad,” he adds. The committee will also host quizzes and game shows to encourage youngsters to know more about mythology. Many Ramlilas also invite film and political personalities to draw attention and add appeal. “On October 12, we will have Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone over here, who are starring in the film Ram Leela. We also plan to bring in Hema Malini, who will perform as Sita on one of the days and also Akshay Kumar is coming over on Dussehra,” informs Kumar. The Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, that runs a notable school for music, dance and performing arts, has been putting on a Ramlila dance-drama every year since 1957. Different choreographers have been used to ensure that its style, which has included both folk and Indian classical dance, keeps evolving. “At our centre, we have grandparents accompanied by grandchildren coming over to see the Ramlila. It is quite heartening! We have also added an English narrative to appeal to all. In addition, we have latest technology in terms of sound, lights and stage. We just returned from a three-week visit to Indonesia and Bangkok where we took part in a nine-nation International Ramlila Festival. Soon after the Ramlila run in Delhi, we will be taking the production to Washington, Houston and other venues in USA,” informs Shobha Deepak Singh, director, Bharatiya Kala Kendra. Ramlila is as much about tradition as about festivities. “For me, it is a chance to catch up with friends, enjoy a live spectacle and eat lovely chaat. Since the weather is pleasant, open air settings also work,” says Mayank Lal, a student and regular at Ramlila held at Chandni Chowk.
