Now that the Navratri festival is here, you can witness the life story of Shri Ram in the form of Ramleela. During the auspicious days of Durga Puja or Navratri, a folk play is enacted at various locations in almost every city. This very desi and old form of theatre retells the story of Lord Rama, His virtues and His life.

Whats interesting is that till a few years ago, all characters in the Ramleela were played by men only. But over the last decade things have changed and we see Sita being played by women now! This is the best way to keep yourself and your kids associated with our culture and our heritage.

Contrary to what many of us educated and modern women believe, youngsters do throng most Ramleela pandals. Ramleela is not just another local theatre. It is an event that promotes social interactions as well as family interactions. If you and your spouse make it a point to take your kids to watch the Ramleela right from the beginning to the end, you will find yourself talking a lot with them. This is the time that is usually spent watching TV without a word being uttered in most households. What would be a better way of spending quality time with your family than going to the Ramleela this year?

And for those of you who need some motivation, most Ramleela pandals also have fairs and lots of goodie goodie eatables on offer. So be it the paani poori , chaat, bhel puri, pav bhaji, chole bhature, dosa or whatever other street food you crave, Ramleela ground is the place to go!!!

Unfortunately, the recent blast at the Holy Dargah of Sufi Saint Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti in Ajmer has put the whole nation in fear. It is very sad that people congregating for prayers got hurt in the blast. Such incidents spoil the festive mood and completely ruin the harmony in the country. During these auspicious days, let us all pray to the Almighty that such incidents are not repeated.