Smriti Irani attends Ram Krishna Puram Ramleela in Delhi
Synopsis
BJP leader Smriti Irani attended the Ram Krishna Puram Ramleela in New Delhi on 20 October 2026, lauding the annual Ramayana performance as a cultural tradition that binds every generation emotionally to India's heritage.
Key Takeaways
BJP leader Smriti Irani attended the Ramleela organised by Ram Krishna Puram Ramleela Dharmik Samiti in New Delhi on 20 October 2026 .
She called the staging of Lord Ram's story 'a part of our cultural heritage to which every generation has an emotional connection.' Irani congratulated all organisers and artists who contributed to the event's success.
Ram Krishna Puram is a residential locality in South West Delhi that hosts community Ramleela performances during the Dussehra festival season.
Senior BJP leaders attending neighbourhood Ramleela events during October is a recurring pattern of visible support for classical cultural traditions.
On Tuesday, 20 October 2026, BJP leader Smriti Irani stepped into the spirit of the festival season, attending the Ramleela staged by the Ram Krishna Puram Ramleela Dharmik Samiti in New Delhi — a vivid, centuries-old performance tradition that still draws crowds to neighbourhood grounds every year.
Writing on X, Irani described witnessing 'Prabhu Shri Ram ki leela' — the sacred enactment of Lord Ram's story — and called the performance 'a part of our cultural heritage to which every generation has an emotional connection.' She congratulated all organisers and artists who contributed to making the event a success, closing with a resounding 'Jai Shri Ram!'
A South Delhi locality and a living tradition
Ram Krishna Puram, a residential locality in South West Delhi, is among the many neighbourhoods across the capital that host community Ramleela performances during the Dussehra festival season. These open-air enactments of the Ramayana epic — featuring elaborate costumes, live dialogue, and the theatrical defeat of Ravana — draw families of all ages and remain one of India's most broadly attended forms of living folk theatre.
The tradition is not merely ceremonial. For communities in cities that have grown dense and fast, the local Ramleela ground is often the one public space where neighbours still gather as a collective, making the event as much a social ritual as a religious one.
BJP leaders and the Ramleela circuit
Irani's visit reflects a wider pattern visible each October: senior BJP figures attend neighbourhood Ramleela performances in Delhi and across other states, signalling visible solidarity with classical cultural expressions rooted in Hindu tradition. For a party that has consistently centred cultural heritage as a policy and electoral theme, these appearances carry weight beyond the ceremonial — they are public affirmations of a worldview.
Irani herself, as former Union Minister of Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs, has long been one of the BJP's most prominent voices on questions of culture and social identity, making her presence at such events a natural continuation of that profile.
With Dussehra celebrations unfolding across Delhi and other cities this season, the Ramleela stage remains, as it has for generations, the neighbourhood's most democratic stage — and politicians on all sides know it.
Point of View
Where participation in Hindu performance traditions functions as both public outreach and ideological signalling. For a leader with a high-profile ministerial record on cultural and social policy, these festival-season appearances reinforce personal brand association with heritage advocacy. The gesture is routine in form but deliberate in purpose — it positions the party as the steward of living traditions at the neighbourhood level, where electoral relationships are ultimately built and maintained.
NationPress
20 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Ramleela did Smriti Irani attend in 2026?
Smriti Irani attended the Ramleela organised by the Ram Krishna Puram Ramleela Dharmik Samiti in New Delhi on 20 October 2026.
What did Smriti Irani say about Ramleela?
She described the staging of Lord Ram's story as a part of India's cultural heritage to which every generation has an emotional connection, and congratulated the organisers and artists involved.
Where is Ram Krishna Puram located?
Ram Krishna Puram is a residential locality in South West Delhi, known for hosting community cultural events including annual Ramleela performances.
Why do BJP leaders attend Ramleela events?
Attending Ramleela performances is part of a wider pattern among BJP leaders of showing visible support for classical Hindu cultural traditions, particularly during the Dussehra festival season.
What is Ramleela and when is it performed?
Ramleela is a traditional dramatic re-enactment of the Ramayana epic, performed annually in the weeks leading up to Dussehra across India, featuring elaborate costumes and live theatrical performances.
