New Delhi, September 25th, 2026: Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra will present its nationally famous dance drama SHRI RAM from October 11th to November 1st, 2026, at the Kendra’s Open Air Theatre, No. 1, Copernicus Marg, Mandi House, New Delhi, daily at 6.30 pm. A treasured festive tradition for nearly seven decades, SHRI RAM was envisioned …
New Delhi, September 25th, 2026: Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra will present its nationally famous dance drama SHRI RAM from October 11th to November 1st, 2026, at the Kendra’s Open Air Theatre, No. 1, Copernicus Marg, Mandi House, New Delhi, daily at 6.30 pm.
A treasured festive tradition for nearly seven decades, SHRI RAM was envisioned and created in 1957, by the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra’s Founder, the late Smt. Sumitra Charat Ram, as a cultural offering to our nation. Rooted in Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, the 2-hour-15-minute production traces Lord Ram’s journey from his birth into exile, on to Lanka, and finally to his Rajya Abhishek. Its original creation drew on the contributions of eminent artists including Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, Guru Gopinath, Bhagwandas Verma, Narendra Sharma, the Dagar Brothers, Rahi ji (Rahi Masoom Raza), Tapas Sen and B.K. Sawant Badal.
Since the 1970s, Chairperson Padma Shri Smt. Shobha Deepak Singh has renewed the production, bringing in contemporary stagecraft, LED visuals, and simultaneous Hindi and English translations projected on side screens. With the help of Neelabh Ashk, she also had portions of the dance drama’s lyrics translated from Awadhi into Hindi, which were set to music by Shanti Sharma and Biswajit Roy Chowdhury. Through every evolution, the production has preserved its devotional essence and its distinctive choreographic language, blending Indian classical and folk-dance traditions.
Both versions of the Ramayan Epic were a great success, each in its own way.
This year, after nearly 25 years, SHRI RAM returns to its traditional roots. Under the guidance of Vice Chairperson Smt. Gauri Keeling and SBKK Director Sh. Jayant Kastuar, the Executive Trustee Smt. Minaakshi S. Dass, has ensured that the production once again features handmade sets, newly created costumes, and a classical approach to stage and lighting design with fresh techniques. The lyrics, too, go back to the original chaupais of the Ramcharitmanas. Principal Choreographer Shashidharan Nair, together with Associate Choreographer Rajkumar Sharma, leads the renewed staging while preserving the distinctive traditional character that has long defined the production.
Conceived and choreographed by the legendary Padmashri Mrs. Shobha Deepak Singh, “SHRI RAM is a tradition that has lived across generations. This year, as we return to its traditional form after nearly 25 years, we are reconnecting with the visual language, music and verses that have shaped its identity. Our endeavour is to preserve its soul while allowing the timeless values of the Ramayana to resonate with audiences today.”
In restoring the production to its traditional form, the Kendra has once again placed the Ramayan’s enduring values of duty, devotion, sacrifice, brotherhood and respect at its centre.
Far removed from the fleeting spectacle of Bollywood-style retellings of our epics, SHRI RAM has endured for nearly seven decades as a living tradition of dance, theatre and music, carrying India’s authentic cultural heritage into the present
This Diwali season, when SHRI RAM returns, as it has for generations, families come back year after year to experience Lord Ram’s story live on stage. Many who first attended as children now bring children of their own. Its wide appeal continues to draw new audiences each year, who are spell bound by production. The Kendra’s flagship production continues to remain a national treasure, a pilgrimage of art and devotion that preserves heritage while inspiring every audience.
Over the years, SHRI RAM has been witnessed by more than 25 lakh spectators across India as well as overseas, travelling to 35 countries across Southeast Asia, Europe, and other regions. The production has received the presence and commendation of nearly every President and Prime Minister of India; it was also invited by the Government of India to perform at the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
The Kendra Dance Repertory is supported by SPR Auto Technologies Limited.
Tickets for the performances are available on BookMyShow.
About Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra
Founded in 1947 by the late Smt. Sumitra Charat Ram, the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra has devoted itself to promoting and preserving the Indian classical arts. It began as the Jhankar Music Circle, whose evenings featured maestros such as Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Baba Allauddin Khan and many others. From those beginnings the Kendra has grown into a nationally acclaimed institution with a repertoire of more than 40 original dance-dramas. Its campus at 1, Copernicus Marg, Mandi House, New Delhi, is home to its teaching facilities, hostels, an amphitheatre and the iconic Kamani Auditorium. Under able leadership and a skilled professional team, SBKK continues to train artists, stage original productions, and preserve India’s cultural and artistic traditions.
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