Exclusive The Best Year-long ‘Ramayan’ Festival
The ‘Year of Connecting the World Through Ramayana’ festival will take place in Delhi’s historic Purana Qila from January 18 to 24.
India is hosting a year-long festival titled “Connecting the World Through Ramayan” to commemorate the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The festival will begin on Thursday at Delhi’s historic Purana Qila (Old Fort) and travel to Lucknow, Ayodhya, and Varanasi.
Cultural activities will also be organized with the help of state governments at iconic ‘Ramayan’ sites such as Madhya Pradesh’s Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, Bihar’s Sitamarhi, Karnataka’s Hampi, and Tamil Nadu’s Kanniyakumari, as well as cities such as Bhopal and Jaipur.
Seven neighbouring countries, including Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos, Thailand, and Sri Lanka, will participate in the year-long program.
“We have asked our missions abroad to contact countries where the program can travel, and we will finalize this over the next few months,” Minister of State for Culture Meenakshi Lekhi stated.
The “Year of Connecting the World Through Ramayana” festival will take place in Delhi’s historic Purana Qila from January 18 to 24. She stated that the programs will include ballet performances, talks, and interactive arts and crafts exhibitions on the ‘Ramayana’.
Ms. Lekhi stated that the festival will provide a unique opportunity for Indian audiences to know the spectacular cultural forms of ‘Ramayana’ followed in other countries through their cultural presentations like Kakawin Ramayana (Indonesia), Wayang Kulit (a shadow puppet show based on Ramayana practiced in Bali), Khon Ramakien (Ramayan of Thailand), a Maranaco folk dance (based on Ramayan of the Philippines), ancient puppetry Ramayana of Cambodia, and versions from Vi
The event is open to diplomats, art enthusiasts, scholars, and dignitaries from various professions. “The festival is part of the seventh edition of the “India International Ramayan Mela” and would be extended to year-long programs of cultural and academic activities throughout the country,” said Kumar Tuhin, Director General of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR).
These performances will also be showcased in Ayodhya during the Ram Temple inauguration program.
The Ram Temple in Ayodhya will be inaugurated on January 22.
Around 100 leaders from 55 countries, including ambassadors and MPs, have been invited to the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony.
