Ten Nights of Ramlila, Ending in Fire
It begins with a voice through a loudspeaker, cutting over the traffic on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, and a crowd that keeps arriving long after the ground looks full. From 11 to 21 October 2026, over 200 Ramlila committees across Delhi stage the Ramayana night after night, and the season closes on Dussehra, Tuesday 20 October, with Ravan Dahan — the burning of effigies of Ravana, his son Meghnad and his brother Kumbhakaran, packed with firecrackers.
At Ramlila Maidan, near the Red Fort, the Lav Kush Ramlila Committee mounts the city's largest production, casting television and Bollywood actors in the lead roles. On the final night, attendance routinely passes 100,000. Three linked effigies, each around 50 feet tall, fall in sequence. A public puja is held in the early evening before the burning; viewing is free, though some reserved seating and enclosures may be charged, with details announced about a week ahead. Get there by early afternoon on 20 October. Once the effigies are lit, the crowd stops moving, so carry water, wear comfortable footwear and bring a warm layer for after sunset.
Where to Watch, From Open Grounds to a Seated Lawn
Delhi gives you a choice of scale. The open maidans are spectacle; the indoor and campus productions are theatre.
- Ramlila Maidan, near Lal Qila — the Lav Kush Ramlila Committee's production, and the biggest crowd of the season.
- Red Fort Lawns — the Nav Shri Dharmik Leela Committee's Ramlila, staged against the fort itself.
- Subhash Maidan — the Shri Dharmik Leela Committee's long-running production.
- Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, 1 Copernicus Marg, Mandi House — founded in 1952, SBKK has staged its Shri Ram dance-drama every year since, drawing more than 60,000 visitors a season. Expect Kathak, Bharatanatyam and Odissi with live Hindustani music, performed to a seated audience on the campus lawns. It is a calmer evening than any maidan.
- Neighbourhood grounds — Janakpuri, noted for the quality of its audio and lighting; Dwarka Sector 10; Pitampura's DDA Ground, NSP; and Patparganj. The Shri Ram Lila Committee coordinates the calendar across many of these venues.
Timings can shift by an hour or more with weather, rehearsals and civic permissions, so check committee social media in the days before you go.
Melas, Dandiya and Durga Puja Across the City
The Ramlila grounds come wrapped in Dussehra Melas — food stalls, crafts and amusement rides, often running past midnight, from the first night of Navratri through Vijayadashami. Dandiya nights are held across Delhi through the season, frequently set to Bollywood music. Durga Puja pandals appear citywide; among the notable ones are Kali Mandir at Kashmir Gate and the Arambagh Durga Puja Samithi.
On the morning of Vijayadashami, Shastra Puja and Ayudha Puja are observed — tools, instruments and vehicles blessed with turmeric, kumkum and aarti, a custom kept by businesses and artisans. In south Delhi's communities from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Ayudha Puja falls the day before Dussehra. If you join a puja, dress modestly, arrive early and bring small offerings: flowers, coconut, tulsi leaves.
Markets, Street Food and the Route Between Them
October is a good month to be in Delhi, and the festival crowds fill the old shopping streets. Chandni Chowk, Lajpat Nagar, Sarojini Market and Khan Market are the ones to know, thick with silk textiles, handicrafts, puppets, artefacts and street food — and thick with people. For a different register, Pacific Mall and DLF Emporio handle the luxury end.
Eat your way through the classics: golgappe, chole bhature, paranthe, faluda and kebab. Food stalls also operate at the Ramlila maidans themselves, so you can eat without leaving the ground. If you have daylight left, the Red Fort, Akshardham Temple, Lotus Temple and Jantar Mantar are all within reach of the festival circuit.
Getting There on the Night It Burns
The Metro is the way to travel on Dussehra night. For Ramlila Maidan, use Chandni Chowk or Lal Qila stations on the Yellow and Violet lines. Rajiv Chowk is the interchange; Janakpuri West serves the Janakpuri ground. Traffic restrictions around Ramlila Maidan and Lal Qila begin in the early afternoon and can last past midnight, so leave the car at home. Note that 20 October is a gazetted public holiday in Delhi and most of north India — government offices, schools and many businesses are closed, which means the crowds arrive earlier and stay later.
Book your travel around the 11–21 October Ramlila season, pick your ground — the roar of Ramlila Maidan or a seat at Copernicus Marg — and plan to spend the daylight hours in the markets before the effigies go up.