What Is Ramlila? The UNESCO-Recognised Tradition Behind Dussehra

Ramlila, literally “Rama’s play,” is a traditional dramatic performance of the Ramayana epic, staged in hundreds of towns and villages across northern India during the Dussehra festival season, celebrating Lord Rama’s return from exile. Most productions draw on the Ramcharitmanas, the version of the epic composed by Tulsidas in the 16th century in a form of Hindi to make the Sanskrit original accessible to all.

Most Ramlila performances run 10-12 days, though some, like the famous Ramnagar Ramlila in Varanasi, stretch across an entire month, staged at open-air locations across the town as the audience moves with the action. Communities take part in mask-making, costumes, and effigies, and audiences are often invited to join the narration.

UNESCO inscribed Ramlila on its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.