UP: Russian artists perform Ramleela in Ayodhya | Photos

Lucknow, Oct 22: A group of Russian artists on Saturday performed Ramlila, the dramatic re-enactment of the life of Lord Ram, in the temple town of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

After a gap of two years, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has given a global platform to the artists of foreign countries to perform Ramlila in 'Ramnagari Ayodhya'.

Under the auspices of 'Disha: India-Russia Friendship Society of Moscow', the Padma Shri Gennady Mikhailovich Pechnikov Memorial Ramlila will be held on the Deepotsav stage in Ayodhya.

It should be noted that since 2017, Ramlila has been performed by foreign performers each year during Deepotsav.
As per director and producer Dr Rameshwar Singh, Ramlila has been performed in Russia on a very significant scale since 1960.

In the Russian Ramlila, Ildar Khusnullin will play Maryada Purushottam Shriram. Sita will be portrayed by Milana Bychonek, Kaushalya by Nadezda Singh, Sumitra by Rati Kosinova, Kaikeyi by Gulnara Isakova, Lakshmana by Alexei Fleyjanikav, and Ravana by Vaychislav Chernyash. Danish Shevtsov will play Dashrath while Artem Zubkov will play Sugreev, with Kushnerova portraying Lord Hanuman.

''12 artists came from Moscow to perform here. Language wasn't a difficulty; making artists feel their characters was difficult.'' he said.

''It's my first time in India. I played Sita. We practiced for 3-4 months,'' Russian Actress told ANI.

Apart from Russia, artists from seven other countries, including Trinidad and Tobago, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Malaysia, will once again perform Ramlila in Ayodhya.

The performance of Ramleela by the Russian actors will take place during October 22-28, when the Deepotsav festival will be celebrated in Ayodhya.

The visit of the Ramleela troupe is special as it will take place after the pandemic as well as in the backdrop of the Ukraine crisis, which is redefining the India-Russia relationship both at the levels of the governments and people-to-people ties.