India GODussehra in Delhi
The night they burn Ravana
Delhi burns Ravana on dozens of grounds at once, from the star-studded Ramlilas by the Red Fort to the old one at Ramlila Maidan, after ten or more nights of the Ramayana on the same stages.
Where to watch
Red Fort grounds: the big-stage Ramlilas of the Luv Kush Ramlila Committee, the Nav Shri Dharmik Leela Committee and the Shri Dharmik Leela Committee (Madhav Das Park), with film and television actors in the cast, a fair around the stage, and a Ravan Dahan often attended by the President and the Prime Minister. Free; heavy security and bag checks.
Ramlila Maidan: the ground laid out in the early 1930s so that the Ramlila could move here from the Yamuna floodplain behind the Red Fort; the Shri Ram Lila Committee's performance and burning. Free.
Neighbourhood grounds: almost every colony has its own Ramlila and effigy; in 2024 Dwarka Sector 10 raised a 211-foot Ravana, billed as India's tallest.
🎟 Free viewing
- Every Ramlila ground is free to enter; bring as little as possible for the security checks.
- The Red Fort grounds (Lal Quila or Jama Masjid Metro)
- Ramlila Maidan (Delhi Gate Metro)
- Your nearest neighbourhood Ramlila, often the least crowded way to see an effigy burn