NEW DELHI: Ramlila celebrations in Delhi would largely be low key this year in the wake of the pandemic, adopting SoPs for Covid-appropriate behaviour. Nevertheless, many organisers seemed overjoyed at the DDMA’s nod for physical Ramlila celebrations coming on September 30, less than a week before the festival begins on October 6. Last year, the festivities were organised virtually last year.
The Lav Kush Ramlila Committee that organises Ramlila at Red Fort every year will have COVID-19 protocols in place for the next 10 days (October 6-16). “We will follow all the DDMA guidelines during the celebrations. Chairs will be placed five feet away from each other to maintain social distancing. Banners of ‘no mask, no entry’ will be put up at the venue, and sanitisation will be mandatory,” said Arjun Kumar, Secretary of the committee that organised the Ram Lila virtually last year, and added that the ‘maidan’ will be cleaned daily.
Shri Dharmik Leela Committee, another group that has staged the Ram Lila at Red Fort (since 1924), has shrunk its 10-day programme to a single day at ISKCON temple, East of Kailash. “Lal Quila Maidan made sense when we had a footfall of over five lakh people over 10 days, ‘when it was like a ‘mela’ with not just performances, but also food stalls, swings and rides for children,” said Ravi Jain, Press Secretary of the committee.
The Shri Ram Lila Committee that hosts the festivities at the Ramlila Maidan in Ajmeri Gate, has decided to skip the event altogether. “They give us permission two days before and expect us to organise an event like this! You need time, money, and the requisite infrastructure to enable the organisers to put together such a grand event,” said Rajesh Khanna, Secretary-General of the committee.