Delhi | The world-renowned Luv Kush Ramlila Committee brought alive the epic scenes of the Ramayana on Sunday evening at the Red Fort grounds, with the highlight being the fierce battle between Laxman and Meghnad.
Committee president Arjun Kumar informed that Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar graced the occasion, witnessed the grand enactment of Lord Ram’s story, sought blessings of Shri Ramchandra, and extended advance greetings to devotees for the upcoming Dussehra festival.
The evening’s performance opened with a Ganesh Vandana, followed by the dramatic sequences of Kumbhkaran Vadh, the Laxman–Meghnad battle, Meghnad’s death, Sulochana seeking Ravana’s permission to collect her husband’s severed head, her entry into Ram’s camp, and finally, her departure carrying Meghnad’s head.
One of the most applauded performances came from former BJP mayor and leader Jathedar Avtar Singh, who played the mighty Kumbhkaran. Weighing 131 kilograms and blessed with a powerful voice, Singh’s performance captivated the audience. To awaken Kumbhkaran from his deep slumber, the organizers used state-of-the-art stereo digital sound effects: eight sound tracks, ground-shaking vibrations, the trumpeting of elephants, roaring of lions, and the smashing of more than 100 earthen pots. Drums and nagadas resounded across the field as actors fed the character over 120 kilograms of sweets, food, and hundreds of liters of water to add realism.
The Dussehra effigies of Ravan, Kumbhkaran, and Meghnad, prepared at the venue, are a major attraction this year. The Ravan effigy has been designed with striking features – when struck by an arrow, nectar will drip from his navel, his eyes will roll, blood-like tears will fall, swords will whirl in his hands, and the ten garlands on his neck will glow in different colors. His final moments will resound with chants of “Hey Ram, Hey Ram” before the effigy is set aflame.
After the staging, committee officials including General Secretary Subhash Goyal, Chairman Pawan Gupta, Senior Vice President Satyabhushan Jain, along with Saurav Gupta, Sandeep Bhutani, Treasurer Ankur Goyal, Minister Praveen Singhal, Rajesh Verma, Gaurav Suri, Rajkumar Gupta, Veeru Singhi, and Lokesh Bansal honored the guests. The evening concluded with the aarti and prayers to Lord Ram.
