The staging of the Ramayana is based on the Ramacharitmanas, the sacred text to the glory of Rama, the hero of the Ramayana, was composed by Tulsidas in the sixteenth century. Ramlila, meaning “Rama’s play”, is a performance of the epic Ramayana in the form of a series of scenes that include song, narration, recital and dialogue. The most representative Ramlilas are those of Ayodhya, Ramnagar, Benares, Vrindavan, Almora, Sattna and Madhubani.
In the capital city of Delhi Ramlila is staged with much fanfare and aplomb in almost all corners of the city.Most famous Ramlila’s of the capital are those staged by the Shree Ramlila Committee at Ramlila ground and is patronized by many eminent personalities including the likes of ministers and prime ministers and is believed to be the oldest running Ramlila of Delhi. Other important Ramlilas are the once staged by the Luv Kush committee at red fort grounds and Dharmik Leela Committee, which stages Ramlila at Subhash Maidan opposite Red Fort.
On the tenth day, the effigy of Ravana is burned, symbolizing the victory of good over evil. The Ramlila brings the whole population together, without distinction of caste, religion or age.