These 6 Ramlila Are Famous For Their Unique Depiction Of Triumph Of Good Over Evil

According to UNESCO, Ramlila is a ‘masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of humanity’. But for most of us, let’s just say it’s a great feeling to see actors enacting the saga of Ramayana on stage. Watching the tale of Rama, the dutiful son, Sita, the beautiful bride and Ravana, the villain, unfold is the best way to celebrate Dussehra, the festival which teaches us that good always triumphs over evil.

Here are six places you can head to, to witness the victory of good over evil.

1. Ramnagar, Varanasi

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Ramlila here was started in the year 1830 by Maharaja Udit Narayan Singh, Kashi Naresh with the help of Pandit Laxmi Narayan Pandey's family (present vyas ji of the Ramlila of Ramnagar). Imagine, the tradition of the play has continued till today since 1830! The entire stage play is performed for 31 days and the location for each scene is different. With a crowd of more than 10,000 people, everything about this Ramlila is grandiose.?

2. Ayodhya

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Watching Ramlila at the birthplace of Ram has its own charm. Even the Muslim youth come forward to play the roles in the play by setting an example of ‘Ganga-Jamuni-Tahjeeb’. People, especially sadhus from all around the country assemble in Ayodhya to watch Ramlila. However, the sad part is that curtains fall over many Ramlila groups due to lack of funding.

3. Aishbagh, Lucknow

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Conducted by the Shriramlila samiti, this year, PM Modi is going to be the guest for Aishbagh Ramlila. The troupe has some great actors who have been taking part in the play since their childhood. Interestingly, a team of 50 Bengali artists would bring Ramlila live on stage this year.

4. Almora

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According to a 2008 UNESCO report, the most representative Ramlilas are those of Almora, Satna and Madhubani. The Almora or Kumaon style of Ramlila was set in the musical rendering of the katha based on the theatrical style developed by Uday Shankar during his stay in Almora. It was then carried on forward by Mohan Upreti and Brijendra Lal Sah.

5. & 6. Thailand and Laos

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Yes, Thailand also has artists who perform Ramlila. Ram and Lakshman are called Phra Ram and Phra Lak respectively in the national epic of the Lao people. The epic is adapted from Ramayana. The story, however, differs on stage but has some similar elements of Ramlila.