India is set to host year-long festival on “connecting the world through Ramayan”. The festival will begin from Delhi’s Purana Qila on Thursday and then move to various cities like Lucknow, Ayodhya and Varanasi.
As part of the Ramayan festival, cultural activities will also be organised with the help of State Governments at iconic places that hold significance with the ‘Ramayan’. These include Chitrakoot in Madhya Pradesh, Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar’s Sitamarhi, Hampi in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu’s Kanniyakumari, besides cities like Bhopal and Jaipur.
The festival is also aligning with the grand pran pratistha of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Further, seven neighbouring countries including Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos, Thailand and Sri Lanka will also participate in the year-long celebration.
The programmes will also include ballet performances, talks and interactive Arts and Crafts exhibitions on ‘Ramayana’.
As per Union MoS for Culture, M. Lekhi, the festival will provide a unique opportunity for the Indian audiences to know the spectacular cultural forms of ‘Ramayana’ followed in other countries through their cultural presentations like Kakawin Ramayana (Indonesia), Wayang Kulit (shadow puppet show based on Ramayana practised in Bali), Khon Ramakien (Ramayan of Thailand), a Maranaco folk dance (based on Ramayan of Philippines), ancient puppetry Ramayana of Cambodia and versions from Vietnam, Malaysia and Mauritius.
According to Kumar Tuhin, Director General, Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), the festival is a part of the seventh edition of the “India International Ramayan Mela” and would be extended to year-long programmes of cultural and academic activities throughout the country.