Ramayana group from Cambodia, Indonesia, and 12 Indian states will present devotional renditions of Lord Shri Ram's story

The festival will witness the diverse national and global interpretations of Lord Shri Ram's story

Esteemed Hindi poet Kumar Vishwas will mesmerize the audience and extol the glory of Lord Shri Ram with 'Apne-Apne Ram'

Ramlila Maidan of Raigarh will reverberate with the unwavering sentiment of Lord Shri Ram's story

Renowned folk singer Mr. Dilip Shadangi and his team will recite the Hanuman Chalisa in the festival

Raipur, TNINS 

Chhattisgarh is set to host its first-ever grand 'National Ramayana Festival,' a momentous event to be inaugurated by Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel on June 1 at 3 pm, will take place at the historic Ramlila Maidan in Raigarh. Ramayana groups from Cambodia, Indonesia, and 12 Indian states will present devotional renditions of Lord Shri Ram's story, showcasing the diverse national and global interpretations of Lord Shri Ram's story. The festival will feature a daily competition for 3 days in a row with the theme of Ramayana's 'Aranya Kand', where various participating Ramayana Mandali will vie for the 'Best Ramayana Mandali'. Additionally, renowned artists from across the country will grace the event with their musical performances during the 'Bhajan Sandhya'. The Ramlila Maidan of Raigarh will reverberate with the unwavering sentiment of Lord Shri Ram's story for three days. Ramayana Mandali from various states including Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha, Assam, Goa, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh are enthusiastically participating in this national festival. On the concluding day, esteemed Hindi poet Kumar Vishwas will mesmerize the audience with his special performance, 'Apne-Apne Ram,' extolling the glory of Lord Shri Ram.

At the inauguration of the National Ramayana Festival, there will be a collective chanting of Hanuman Chalisa to be conducted by Pandits, Purohits, and local artists. Following this, a march past is to be conducted by foreign and interstate artists. Culture Minister Mr. Amarjit Bhagat will preside over the ceremony. School Education Minister and in-charge of Raigarh district Dr. Premsai Singh Tekam, Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Mr. Umesh Patel, MLA Mr. Laaljit Singh Rathia, Mr. Prakash Nayak, Mr. Chakradhar Singh, President of Raigarh District Panchayat Mr. Nirakar Patel, Mayor of Raigarh Municipal Corporation Mrs. Janki Katju will grace the event as a special guest.

Day 1 highlights: Performance by Cambodia's Ramayana group

Day 1 of the National Ramayana Festival will have a captivating lineup of performances. The highlight of the day will be a performance by the Cambodian Ramayana group. The renowned devotional singer Devesh Sharma will perform at the event from 2 pm to 3 pm. The excitement will be continued with a performance by the Cambodian group from 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm. Following this, an inter-state Ramayana Mandali competition based on the 'Aranya Kand' will commence at 5:15 pm, featuring teams from Uttarakhand, Karnataka, and Chhattisgarh. Renowned national artists will then take the stage for soul-stirring bhajan presentations. Sanmukh Priya, known for her exceptional talent on Indian Idol, will captivate the audience from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. The enchanting evening will conclude with a performance by esteemed national artist Sharad Sharma (a contestant of Sa Re Ga Ma )from 9:30 pm to 10:30 pm. Day 1 of the National Ramayana Festival promises a blend of cultural diversity, melodious tunes, and fierce competition, setting the stage for an extraordinary celebration of this festival.

 Day 2 highlights: Performance by Baba Hansraj Raghuvanshi and Lakhbir Singh Lakkha

Day 2 of the National Ramayana Festival will feature captivating performances by renowned artists. The program, commencing at 2:00 pm, will have Culture Minister Mr. Amarjit Bhagat as the Chief Guest, with School Education Minister Dr. Premsai Singh Tekam presiding over the event. Following this, an inter-state Ramayana Mandali competition based on the 'Aranya Kand' will commence at 2:30 pm, featuring teams from eight states including Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, and Chhattisgarh. Renowned national artists Baba Hansraj Raghuvanshi will take the stage for an enchanting Bhajan Sandhya from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Following this, the evening will conclude with the mesmerizing performance of Bhanjan Sandhya by devotional singer Lakhbir Singh Lakkha from 9:30 pm to 10:30 pm.

Day 3 highlight: Performance by Indonesian Ramayana group

The third and final day of the National Ramayana Festival will culminate with a spectacular closing ceremony, under the esteemed presence of Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel. Culture Minister Amarjeet Bhagat will preside over the program, marking the grand finale of this cultural extravaganza. The day will commence with an exciting competition based on Aranya Kand from 2 pm to 6 pm, featuring teams from four states: Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh. At 6 pm, the Cambodian group will deliver a captivating performance, adding a unique international flavor to the event.

Following this, the Kelo Maha-aarti will be carried from 6:30 pm to 7 pm, in which 'deepdan' will be carried out by the SHG's women using the diya (lamps) made from cow dung. The stage program will commence at 7 pm with a collective chanting of Hanuman Chalisa.

The highlight of the closing ceremony, taking place from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm, will be the distribution of prizes to the winning teams and the recognition of foreign artists and competition judges. Following this, the next phase of the event will feature performances by the winning teams and foreign artists, including an enthralling presentation by the Indonesian group from 8:30 pm to 9 pm. The Bhajan Sandhya will be a melodious affair, with renowned national artist Maithili Thakur captivating the audience from 9:00 pm to 09:30 pm. The evening will conclude with the highly anticipated 'Apne Apne Ram' performance by esteemed national artist Kumar Vishwas from 9:30 pm to 10:00 pm.

Renowned folk singer Mr. Dilip Shadangi and his team will recite the Hanuman Chalisa on all three days of the festival. Additionally, each evening will feature a Bhajan Sandhya with acclaimed artists from across the country, offering devotional performances to the audience.