Where Legends Come Alive: The Vibrant World of Ramlila

Essay Writing Competition 2024
Category: 12-15 years
- Runner-up -

"Where Legends Come Alive: The Vibrant World of Ramlila" written by Avni Singh was chosen as runner-up in the Senior category 12 -15 years.

This article was submitted in the Kids World Travel Guide Essay Competition 2024.

Where Legends Come Alive: The Vibrant World of Ramlila

"Siyavar Ramchandra ki….." - "Jai!" the audience yells and so do I.

We sit in front of a stage where actors perform a play. We watch each scene intently and wait for that exhilarating moment when we get to yell that one immortal word 'Jai', meaning victory.

My cousins and I are all dressed in beautiful silk dresses and adorned with jewelry. There is a fair set up around the stage, but all we are interested in is the play in front of us although we might want to check out the food later. The stage is lit up with paraffin lanterns. The voice of the actors is clearly audible even without microphones. The drama portrayed by the actors makes our heartbeat accelerate.

This is one of our most long-standing traditions: Ramlila.

The Ramayana is a great epic passed on from generation to generation mainly through traditional practices. The story is set in India millennia ago. It recounts Lord Ram, his wife, Sita, and his brother, Lakshman, obeying their father to go on a 14-year exile. 13 years into their exile, Lady Sita is abducted by their enemy, the evil Ravan. Lord Ram and Lakshman traversed the entire Deccan Plateau and crossed the Palk Strait on floating rocks carved with the name 'Ram' to rescue Sita and defeat Ravan.

All across North India, the play Ramlila is performed over a span of 10 days ending on Dussehra, the day Lord Ram is said to have defeated Ravan.

I hail from Banaras, one of the most spiritual cities in India. My family makes it a point to attend Ramlila every year, specifically in Ramnagar, an area in Banaras. What makes it so special is that the plays are performed every night for a whole month while performances in other regions only last 10 days. Also, there are specific areas in Ramnagar that are named after important settings in the Ramayana.

Every night, the stage is set up in the areas whose names coincide with the story. Moreover, Ramlila here is over 200 years old, so when we sit and watch it, it makes us feel like we are a part of a precious heritage.

Tonight is the final and grandest night of the performances. We have now arrived at the last scene when Lord Ram, Lady Sita, and Lakshman return to Ayodhya, their home. It is said that the three returned to Ayodhya after sundown. To welcome them home, the entire city was lit up with small lamps we call 'diya'.

The props manager has done a spectacular job; the whole stage is bedecked with even more lights than usual. It looks magical. The Ram, Sita, and Lakshman trio walks through the rows of brightly lit lamps. The entire royal family awaits them. At the end of the Ramayana, Ram, Lakshman, and Sita are back home with their family; and for the annual Ramlila, so are we.

Each year, families are brought back together, brothers and sisters are reunited, and new friendships are forged. That’s why festivals are held in the first place, are they not? To celebrate the relationships we make in life, to make special time for them, and to cherish them as long as we live…..

Every year, we all bring this agenda to life. Several fragments of the past have been passed down by our ancestors; some were forgotten and some were eradicated, but only some, like Ramlila, have turned into gold, into traditions. They changed into traditions when they fulfilled the one timeless qualification: they brought families and friends back together.

In the age category 12-15 years, Avni's amazing story was chosen as runner-up. Congratulations on another wonderful essay!

Avni attends Podar World School Same Vadodara in Gujarat/ India. Avni's home language is Hindi, English is the second language.

Well done, Avni, it is such a pleasure to see how you flourish and grow your talent! Avni has taken part in our competition for several years - please read her other outstanding essays here: