A look at the grandest Ramlila in the world

There are actors and sages, lanterns and effigies, papier mâché horses and real elephants. Ramlilas come in all shapes and sizes. We bring you the most spectacular one: the Ramlila of Ramnagar, Varanasi.

The Ramnagar chowk is a sea of humanity this evening. The roads on all four sides are brimming with hordes of men, women and children – they have spread plastic sheets and mats on the street, and some are carrying tiny wooden pews to sit on. Some squat on the bare ground. People are standing on practically every inch of the pavements; they spill out of the bylanes. All the verandahs are full, many people have climbed up to terraces of old buildings, and are parked on cemented palings, their feet dangling.