Ramayana fair is held in Chitrakoot and Ayodhya of Uttar Pradesh . Many religious leaders, saint mahatmas, experts in Ram Katha and scholars from India and abroad participate in the Ramayana fair. On this occasion, Ramlila , discourses and cultural programs are also organized by various organizations.
The organization of Ramayana Mela was conceived by Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia in 1961. Under the same, for the first time in 1973, the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Kamalapati Tripathi , organized the Ramayana Fair in Chitrakoot , whereas in Ayodhya, it was started in 1982 by the then Chief Minister Shripati Mishra , whose objective was to develop Ayodhya by keeping the Ramayana Fair at the center. .
Ram Manohar Lohia had conceived the concept of organizing Ramayana Mela with the main objective of invoking joy, love and peace. He felt that goals like unity of India would also be achieved through the event. Lohia believed that Kamban ‘s Tamil Ramayana , Eknath ‘s Marathi Ramayana , Krittibas ‘ Bangla Ramayana and other such Ramayanas gave birth and culture to their respective languages. His idea was that in the Ramayana Mela, all these Ramayanas would be discussed by focusing on Tulsi’s Ramayana and it would also be recited as a celebration. Lohia’s personal opinion was that Tulsi was a savior poet.
