Stage set for Ramlila festivities in Noida, Greater Noida

In Greater Noida, a 55-feet long bow and arrow will be the main highlight at the Ramlila organised by Shri Ramlila Committee (SRC) at the Site 4 ground

Several prominent Ramlila committees across Noida and Greater Noida will take part in Navratri celebrations and conduct the festivities at a large scale after a two-year hiatus. Organisers said that they are expecting a large footfall this year with no Covid restrictions in place in the Ramlila grounds.

Noida, India- September 24, 2022: An artist works on an idol of Sherawali Mata at a workshop ahead of Navratri, in Noida, India, on Saturday, September 24, 2022. (Photo by Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The two major Ramlila committees in Noida — Shri Sanatan Dharm Ramlila Committee (SSDRC) in Noida Stadium in Sector 21 and Shri Ram Mitra Mandal Noida Ramlila Committee (SRMMC) in Sector 62 — will be staging Ramlila performances from September 26 to October 6.

The SSDRC Ramlila stage is a replica of the Ram Temple being constructed in Ayodhya and will have 50 performers portraying different characters of the Ramayana during the performances.

“The effigy of Ravan will be 60-feet tall and it will be set on fire on Dussehra. We are expecting around 100,000 visitors to the Ramlila ground across the ten days of the event. The ground will be monitored through 200 CCTV cameras and 150 security personnel,” said TS Chaurasia, SSDRC president.

Amit Bharti, a performer from Ratnakar Dramatic Art Production, who is playing the role of Kumbhkaran and Sarda in Sector 21 said, “After three years, we will finally be performing in front of a full-packed ground. We have hired some new artistes as well to boost the quality of our Ramlila performance”.

In Sector 62, a 125-foot long and 55-feet wide stage has been built for the Ramlila performance.

“A pandal has been built to showcase the effigies of Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnath and they will be set on fire on the day of Dussehra. We are expecting a footfall of over 10,000 people per day and hence security arrangements have been amped up accordingly,” said Munna Sharma, SRMMC general secretary.

In Greater Noida, a 55-feet long bow and arrow will be the main highlight at the Ramlila organised by Shri Ramlila Committee (SRC) at the Site 4 ground. “The character of Lord Ram will break the 55-foot bow at a height of 50 feet above the ground on the second day of the Ramlila performance when Goddess Sita’s ‘swayamwar’ (choosing one’s husband) scene will be enacted,” said Vijendra Singh Arya, SRC general secretary. “In addition to this, a 40-feet long ‘gada’ (mace) will also be set up at the Ramlila ground,” he said.

Arya added that in order to give a message of cleanliness and to mark Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, two large brooms of 30-feet height each and a 25-feet high Mahatma Gandhi spectacles (the Swachh Bharat logo) will be set up as an attraction for visitors.

Meanwhile, Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate Suhas LY said, “While people are advised to follow Covid protocols such as regular sanitisation and wearing of masks, there are no government-ordered restrictions on cultural events being held in the city this year”.