INDIA, October 24, 2013 (Hindustan Times by Saudamini Jain): Ramnagar, on the banks of the Ganga, opposite Varanasi, was the capital of the former princely state of Banaras. It is now a dilapidated town — best known for its nearly-200-year-old Ramlila, the longest in the world. This Ramlila begins in September or October on Anant Chaturdashi and ends 31 (sometimes 30, depending on the lunar cycle) days later on a full moon night. The first episode is the birth of the raakshas king of Lanka, Raavan. Subsequent episodes cover the entire story of Ram – the birth of King Dasharath’s four sons; Ram and Sita’s wedding; their exile; Sita’s abduction; Ram’s victory over Raavan; Bharat Milaap and the coronation of Ram as king of Ayodhya. The Ramlila ends with an episode of Ram’s teachings.
For a month, Ramnagar is transformed into a giant stage for the story of Ram to unfold. Permanent structures and parts of the town within a five-kilometre radius are named after places mentioned in the epic, and different episodes of the lila are enacted at different venues every day.
On most days, the Ramlila moves – the cast, the Kashi Naresh, audiences and all. Sometimes, the movement is within a larger venue. Lanka, for example, is a large tract of land and the scenes shift back and forth between Raavan ka darbar on one end, Ram’s camp on the other and Ashok Vatika in a corner. On some days, the play becomes a procession as the audiences walk along with the cast from venue to venue, which are sometimes more than a kilometre apart.
It is believed that this is when (and where) Ramlilas first began. The oldest Ramlila in the world, the more than 450-year-old Chitrakoot Ramlila, is also Banarasi. The Ramnagar Ramlila began in the early 1800s during the reign of the then Kashi Naresh, Maharaja Udit Narayan Singh. “He had gone to Chhota Mirzapur where some traders had organized a Ramlila, but by the time he got there, it was over. He was very disgruntled… and so his wife suggested that he start one in Ramnagar,” Jai Prakash Pathak, personal secretary to the Kashi Naresh and Ramnagar Ramlila adhyaksh, told us.
This Ramlila isn’t meant to be a theatrical masterpiece. It is a fair, a festival, a phenomenon. The crowd ranges from a few thousand for some episodes, up to 100,000 for episodes like Ram and Sita’s wedding, Dussehra (when a 60-feet high effigy of the Raavan is burnt), Bharat Milaap, and the coronation of Ram (the most auspicious episode).
Much more available at ‘source’ including several nice photos.