Ramlila, the traditional folk reenactment of the Ramayana epic, was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008. This performative tradition, involving singing, narration, and dialogue, occurs annually in India during the autumn Navratri and Dussehra festival season. The Ramlila performances generally start at 8-8.30 in evening. A mela is generally organised at the same place where a variety of food and entertainment options are available for the visitors.
I am going to share my experiences at two such Ramlilas this year. The first one is about the one at Noida stadium.
Shri Sanatan Dharm Ramlila Committee (SSDRC) first organised Ramlila at Noida stadium in 1985 and since then they have been organizing it regularly here.
The Noida Stadium’s Ramlila this year featured a massive Ravan effigy, live Ramlila performances, modern carnival rides like Ferris wheels, diverse Indian street food, shopping stalls for festive items, and family-friendly entertainment, making it a major attraction for the Dussehra celebration.
Some of the major attractions which we enjoyed this year included:
Well of Death- Four Car riders and Four motorcycle riders performed the stunt show on a makeshift wooden race track. These artists make a living by performing daring and breathtaking stunts by riding bikes and driving cars on the vertical walls of the ‘Well of Death’ show. These drivers have performed similar stunt in Salman Khan movie- Bharat
Rides- A no of rides were available including the Ferris wheel, Merry-go-round, Columbus, Train as well as smaller rides for the children.
Photo booth- This nostalgic booth took us back to pre-Kodak 10 days when such booths were popular for portrait and special occasion photos.
And there was the Ramlila celebrating its 40th year and plenty of food stalls to try!!
@TravellerG . Hope you enjoy this nostalgic trip
