Glossary · Term

Ramlila

Also known as Ram Lila

Ramlila is a dramatic re-enactment of the life of the god Rama, based on the Ramayana and especially Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, performed across northern India in the weeks around the Dussehra festival. Performances combine recitation, song, dance and dialogue and are staged by local communities. UNESCO recognised the Ramlila as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.

Ramlila
Image: Ankit Gupta · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

Bhakti movementLegacy, Summary

Mentioned in 1 state history

Benares State

Songs in history

Hanuman Chalisac. 1575

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Ramlila. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ramlila
MLA
“Ramlila.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ramlila. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Ramlila.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ramlila.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Ramlila’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/ramlila (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻