Ratia Ramlila Stages Sita’s Abduction And Bali’s Death On Ninth Day

Ratia: The Shakti Natak Club Ratia staged episodes depicting the abduction of Sita and the death of Bali during the ninth day of its historic Ramlila celebrations on Saturday night. The event was organised at the Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Gurudwara Ground in Shakti Nagar, Ratia.

The programme was attended by Trade Board president Darshan Garg, former president Aman Jain and prominent social worker Sanjay Modi as chief guests.

Other distinguished guests included Raj Kamboj, director of Holy Wisdom Convent School, Lali; Roop Garg; Raju Dahuja, proprietor of Raju Dairy; Raman Balana, president of the Neelkanth Dak Kawad Sangh; chairman Kamal Arora and his team; Sachin Taneja, Arun Doda, Pankaj Bajaj, Santlal Taneja and Sevak Khipal.

How Was Sita’s Abduction Portrayed?

The performance depicted Ravana devising a plan with Marich to abduct Sita. Marich transformed himself into a beautiful golden deer and appeared near Panchavati, attracting Sita’s attention. She requested Lord Rama to capture the deer.

As Rama went into the forest in pursuit of it, he struck Marich with an arrow. Before dying, Marich imitated Rama’s voice and called out for Lakshman and Sita.

Hearing the cries, Sita became worried and urged Lakshman to go to Rama’s aid. Although Lakshman assured her that Rama was capable of protecting himself, he eventually left the hut at her insistence.

Ravana then arrived disguised as a sage and asked Sita for alms. Using deception, he revealed his true identity and abducted her, taking her towards Lanka.

Jatayu Attempts to Rescue Sita

The enactment continued with Jatayu, the mighty bird king, attempting to stop Ravana after hearing Sita’s cries. Jatayu challenged Ravana for abducting another man's wife, but Ravana refused to listen.

A fierce battle followed. Ravana eventually injured Jatayu, who fell to the ground, allowing Ravana to continue towards Lanka with Sita.

When Rama and Lakshman returned to the hut and found Sita missing, they began searching for her in the forest. They encountered the wounded Jatayu, who informed them that Ravana had taken Sita towards the south.

How Did the Battle Between Rama and Bali Unfold?

During their search, Rama and Lakshman met Hanuman and Sugriva. Sugriva explained that his brother Bali had taken away his kingdom, prompting Rama to support him in his fight against Bali.

The Ramlila portrayed Rama shooting Bali with an arrow while Bali was engaged in combat with Sugriva. After being struck, Bali questioned Rama about why he had attacked from concealment rather than confronting him directly.

Rama explained his decision by referring to Bali’s conduct towards Sugriva. According to traditional interpretations of the Ramayana, Bali’s mistreatment of his younger brother and his appropriation of Sugriva’s wife were central reasons for Rama’s intervention.

Guests Honoured by the Organisers

The club’s committee members honoured the chief guests and other dignitaries by presenting them with ceremonial scarves and mementoes.

Those involved in the arrangements included Punjabi Sabha president Satish Handa, Krishna Taneja, Satish Chopra, Shakti Natak Club committee president Rajesh Setia, Ravi Midha, Anshul Batra, Sachin Lalit, Karnail Singh, Anil Rukhaya, Prince Kalu Taneja, Shati Kakkar, Ramesh Jatana, Vijay Taneja, Deepu Chilana, Ashu Taneja, Sonu Chilana, Manohar Lal and Titu Taneja, along with other executive committee members.