Shardiya Navratri

Ravan Dahan at Ramnagar Fort. The tenth day is Vijayadashami — the day of victory. In Varanasi, this means one thing above all: the legendary Ramnagar Ramlila reaches its grand finale. For 31 days before Dussehra, the Kashi Naresh (King of Kashi) has patronized a theatrical retelling of the Ramayana across the grounds of Ramnagar Fort. Unlike any other Ramlila in India, the audience moves with the performers through different locations — forests, palaces, battlefields — making it a living, breathing epic. On Dussehra evening, a towering effigy of Ravana is set ablaze across the Ganga at Ramnagar, witnessed by hundreds of thousands. The Kashi Naresh arrives on an elephant to formally commence the Ravan Dahan. Firecrackers illuminate the sky, and the entire Ganga riverfront glows with the reflected flames. Boats ferry spectators from the city ghats to the Ramnagar side — the river crossing itself becomes part of the spectacle. On the Varanasi side, Dussehra celebrations happen at open grounds across the city — Lanka grounds near BHU being among the largest, with fairgrounds, food stalls, and cultural performances running through the evening.