Ramlila to make grand comeback on Red Fort lawns after 2 years

New Delhi: After two years of subdued festivities due to COVID-19, the lawns of the Red Fort will witness a roaring comeback of Ramlila celebrations with a budget of a whopping Rs 5 crore to give people "a lifetime experience", organisers of the event said on Thursday.

There is a 100-per cent surge in the spending for the celebrations as compared to the pre-Covid times, making it the highest-budgeted Ramlila at the Red Fort so far, they added.

The 10-day event will be organised at the Red Fort ground by the Lav Kush Ramila Committee from September 26 to October 5. Ramlila, meaning "Rama's play", is a performance of the Ramayana in a series of scenes that include songs, narration, recital and dialogues.

This will be the first time after the Covid outbreak that Ramlila will be taking place on such a large scale, according to the organisers.

What makes this year's Ramlila special is the events that are being organised preceding the actual 10-day enactment of the Ramayana from September 26.

The events, including a health camp on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday (September 17), will also be part of the celebrations.

The organisers said there has been a lot of excitement and zeal among people and that has boosted the donations.

"This year, Ramlila is being organised at a very grand level. As after Covid, it is being held for the first time on such a large scale, people are coming forward to donate. This year, the budget will be Rs 5 crore. During pre-Covid times, it was Rs 2.5 crore, which is a 100-per cent rise," Lav Kush Ramlila Committee president Arjun Kumar told PTI.

This year, the focus is not only on the 10-day recitation of the Ramayana but the events preceding the Ramlila are also being organised with great fervency.

"This year's budget is high because we are organising the event on a bigger scale and events are also being organised on the sidelines of the Ramlila," Kumar said.

The celebrations will begin from September 17 on the occasion of the prime minister's birthday. A health camp will be organised where eye checkups and cataract operations will be performed for free and differently-abled people will be provided with free artificial limbs.

Kumar said the event will be attended by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

"Free medication will be provided and people will be given free checkups. Children will be given bags and there will be gifts for women. It will be a large event and we are expecting tens of thousands of people to attend it," he added.

Kumar said several other events will be organised until September 26, when the actual Ramlila will commence.

"On September 18, Mahavir Jayanti will be celebrated for which Jain seers have been invited. This event is also being held on a large scale. More events are lined up for September 21, 22, 24 and 25," he said.

The organisers said they wish to make Ramlila 2022 a grand event as the country is celebrating 75 years of independence and the construction of the Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya.

A bigger and more visually appealing stage will be set up.

The seating arrangement has been planned to accommodate 40,000 people, 15,000 more than usual.

Replicas of Kartavya Path and Central Vista are being made, Kumar said, adding that a statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is being constructed.

The stage will be decorated with LED lights and will have five doors to ensure a hassle-free entry and exit for the artistes.

Parts of the stage are being prepared in different states, which will be assembled here.

On the day of Dussehra, large effigies of Ravana, Kumbhkaran and Meghanada will be burnt.

These effigies will be 100-foot, 90-foot and 80-foot tall respectively.