The Red Fort’s love affair with Ramlila is nothing less than legendary. Every year, in September or October, the dusty maidan outside the massive red sandstone structure dresses up to enact scenes from Ramayana . The show goes on for nine days, ending with Ravan Dahan, the burning of the effigy of Ravana, on Dussehra (also known as Vijaya Dashami).
Tents come up overnight, hundreds of workers ready the dais, and loudspeakers are hoisted on bamboo poles.
Chaat, chhole-kulche, kulfi and golgappa vendors jostle for space with bangle-sellers. For more fun and frolic before and after the shows, there are several ferris wheels and shooting galleries. Drawing huge crowds is the Maut ka Kuaan (Well of Death), the motordrome in which men and women perform stunts on motorcycles and cars. The star performers are young Muslim women from Moradabad. It’s hard to miss their painted lips and brightly rouged cheeks even as they circle the arena in fast-moving bikes.
Back on the main stage, the actor playing the role of Hanuman often gets the loudest applause — more than the princes of Ayodhya and the demon king. On Dussehra, Bollywood celebrities and political leaders are often invited to light the effigy using a bow and arrow, symbolising Rama’s victory over Ravana.
Shome Basu is a Delhi-based photojournalist