After virtual celebrations last year, actors gear up to perform Ramlila on stage

The much-awaited festival of Dussehra is around the corner. It will be celebrated after Navratri on October 15. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

Dussehra is synonymous with Ramlila, a dramatic folk re-enactment which depicts the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana. Actors in different parts of the country have already started preparing for it. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

Ramlila is an adaptation of the epic Ramayana. This art form is a part of the Hindu culture. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

After virtual celebrations last year, Delhi will finally host physical festivities on Dussehra, keeping all Covid guidelines in place. The Lav Kush Ramlila Committee will organise Ramlila at Red Fort. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

Here's a glimpse of actors engaged in a dress rehearsal, near Red Fort in Delhi. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

Ramlila will be held during Navratri and will climax on Dussehra when giant effigies of Ravana are burnt. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

Ramlila festivities were declared by the UNESCO as one of the "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" in 2008. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

The recitations and the narrative of the play are usually based on Ramacharitamanas. Many regions, however, have now developed their own distint form of Ramlila, from the operatic to the pantomime style. Many Ramlilas are now written in Khadi Boli or local dialects. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

Some of the noteworthy performances are held in Ayodhya, Varanasi, Vrindavan, Almora, Satna and Madhubani.(Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal)