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After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Ramlila is set to return in full swing this year. From actor Prabhas being roped in by the Lav Kush Ramlila Committee in Delhi to burn the effigies on Dussehra to actor Bhagyashree featuring in the Ramlila at Ayodhya, the scale this year appears larger than ever.
Both 2020 and 2021 saw a socially distanced Ramlila — while several performances were live streamed online in 2020, last year saw a performance at Red Fort, albeit with fewer audience members.
This year’s Ramlila will be markedly different in terms of the kind of infrastructure and planning being done to provide a visual experience within the framework of government guidelines — organisers have to work with the Delhi government’s ban on fireworks, the country-wide ban on single-use plastic, and Covid protocol, although fairly relaxed, has to be followed.
Some organisers like the Lav Kush Ramlila Committee have found a workaround while others like Shree Ramlila Committee (Ramlila Maidan) are coping. A laser and sound show is being planned in Pitampura while at the Red Fort, hay-filled effigies will be burnt and 10,000 plants will be distributed in an attempt to go green.
On their plan for Raavan Dahan this year, Ajay Agarwal, chairman of Shree Ramlila Committee (Ramlila Maidan), said, “We have met L-G VK Saxena and requested him to grant permission (for the use of firecrackers). He sounded optimistic and will get back to us with a concrete plan once he reviews the Supreme Court guidelines regarding the same.”
Mayor of the erstwhile SDMC Narendra Chawla echoed a similar plan of action. On the arrangements this year, he said, “Being the 25th anniversary of our Ramlila, this year is extremely special. We have nine digital screens, sound mapping and a host of technicians to ensure a smooth show.”
Several organisers are also planning to commemorate India’s 75th year of independence during the event including a poetic gathering at Ramlila Maidan, erecting a statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and hoisting 75 flags at Red Fort.
At Red Fort, the Lav Kush Ramlila Committee has planned a stage set-up akin to the Ram Temple being built at Ayodhya, with 32 actors and three political office bearers essaying different roles during the 10-day event.
“With the best of stunts and famed Old Delhi snacks being the crowd-pullers, we are expecting an average footfall of about 40,000 every day,” said Arjun Kumar, president of the committee.
This year, most organisers expect an unprecedented footfall given the fact that Ramlila is happening after two years. Surender Gupta, treasurer of Shri Ram Lakhan Dharmik Sabha, said that while most women are seen on the days of the Ram-Sita wedding and Sita’s abduction, kids are interested in the part where Lord Rama breaks the bow.
He also said they were unable to organise the event on a grand scale this year. “There were delays in land allotment by the DDA and effectively, we only got half the time to prepare as compared to previous years. More so, we haven’t been given the usual 10-15 days relief period to clear the area after Dussehra.”
On the cast and expected attendees, he said they’ve used only theatre actors in a bid to keep it simple. The four-day event will be held in the presence of the donors, their families and local MLAs, he said.
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