The Fascinating History of Ramlila

Through the ages the Ramayana has permeated the very core of the Indian mind. We have several plays and narrative poems which tell and retell the story of Rama. One such epic poem is Tulsidas’ Ramacharitmanas. What has given this great piece of literary work more power and popularity is its link with the Ramlila, an ancient and most widespread form of India’s traditional theatre which was in 2008 declared by UNESCO as one of the "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity".

In this episode of Culture 'Shauk', we take a look at the origin of Ramlila and how it became an integral part of India’s performing arts tradition, owing to its popular appeal and epic design.