✍️ By Rahul Goyal · Chandigarh Life
Quick answer: Chandigarh’s Ramlilas are staged by neighbourhood committees, and Wikipedia says they run from Amavasya to the Dashami tithi of Ashwin. In 2026 Navratri begins on Sunday, 11 October and Dussehra, with Ravan Dahan, is on Tuesday, 20 October, so a few committees may start a day earlier. Wikipedia names three committees as the oldest: Navyug in Sector 7, the Garhwal Ramleela Mandal in Sector 28 and the Chandigarh Ramleela Committee in Sector 22-B. Start dates and show times are set by each committee, so ask the one near you.
Every 2026 festival date, with its weekday and whether it is a holiday in Chandigarh, is in our Chandigarh festival calendar.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Dussehra 2026 | Tuesday, 20 October 2026 |
| Navratri begins | Sunday, 11 October 2026 |
| Umbrella body | Chandigarh Kendriya Ramleela Mahasabha, which runs a three-day competition between committees |
| Three oldest committees (Wikipedia) | Navyug in Sector 7, Garhwal Ramleela Mandal in Sector 28, Chandigarh Ramleela Committee in Sector 22-B |
| How many places | Almost 60, of which 40 registered, in a 2016 press report quoted by Wikipedia; the count varies by year |
| Dussehra 2027 | Saturday, 9 October 2027 |
When Ramlila starts in 2026
Sharad Navratri begins on Sunday, 11 October 2026 and Dussehra is Tuesday, 20 October. Wikipedia says Chandigarh’s Ramleelas run from Amavasya to the Dashami tithi of Ashwin, and Drik Panchang notes that Ghatasthapana falls on Pratipada, the day after Mahalaya Amavasya. A committee that follows the Amavasya count can therefore start a day before Navratri. Ask each committee for its own start date and show times.
Ramlila, the dramatic retelling of the Ramayana, was declared a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008, according to Wikipedia. In Chandigarh it ends each year with Ravan Dahan; our guide to Dussehra in Chandigarh covers the date, the muhurat and the grounds.
The three oldest committees
Wikipedia names the Navyug Ramlila and Dussehra Committee in Sector 7, the Garhwal Ramleela Mandal at the Bijli Board in Sector 28 and the Chandigarh Ramleela Committee in Sector 22-B, and says these three are the oldest of the city’s Ramlilas. It adds that each draws a crowd of more than 10,000 people, a figure it takes from a 2014 press report. Other committees and grounds exist in most parts of the city; the count changes from year to year.
Navyug Ramlila in Sector 7: what is on record
Wikipedia says the Navyug committee was established in 1979 and stages its Ramlila at Sector 7, that it marked its Silver Jubilee in 2004 and its Ruby Jubilee in 2019, and that the performance uses hi-tech sound systems and an LED screen while the artists are all traditional actors. In its account the Ramlila is staged from the start of Navratri, Dussehra falls on the tenth day and Bharat Milap on the eleventh, when Lord Ram is crowned with Raj Tilak and there are fireworks.
Ramleela and Dussehra grounds by sector
The Chandigarh Estate Office’s list of open grounds that can be booked for functions names a Ramleela or Dussehra ground in Sectors 27, 30, 40, 41, 43, 46 and 47. It is a booking list and does not say which committee uses which ground, so use it to know where to look. The names, sector by sector, are in Dussehra in Chandigarh.
Ramlila in Chandigarh last year: the numbers
In 2025, Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said Ramlila was staged at 76 venues across the city, bringing together nearly 4,500 artistes, according to The Tribune. A single-window system was introduced that year for first-time permissions, which were granted within seven days. Sectors 15, 17, 20, 27, 28, 30, 45 and 46 were among the venues, with Sectors 17, 27 and 46 drawing the biggest crowds. The Sector 20 committee said it had been staging Ramlila for nearly 60 years. Expect the 2026 count once the committees start on 11 October.
The Mahasabha and the competition
The Chandigarh Kendriya Ramleela Mahasabha connects the city’s Ramlila events by holding a three-day competition between them, Wikipedia says.
Ramlila in Panchkula and Zirakpur
Panchkula’s Ravan Dahan is at the Dusshera Ground in Sector 5, and we cover it in Dussehra in Panchkula. We have posted a Ram Leela video from Sector 5, Panchkula (October 2024) and a women’s Ram Leela video from Zirakpur (September 2024). Both are below, with a second women’s Ram Leela video. We have not verified the organisers or the schedules, so ask locally.
🎥 Watch: On Chandigarh Life
More festival guides
- Dussehra in Chandigarh: Tuesday, 20 October, with the Ramleela grounds by sector.
- Dussehra in Panchkula: Ravan Dahan at the Dusshera Ground, Sector 5.
- Navratri in Chandigarh: temples, pandals and garba from Sunday, 11 October.
- Durga Puja in Chandigarh: Ashtami on Monday, 19 October, Navami on the 19th or 20th depending on the calendar.
- Diwali in Chandigarh: Sunday, 8 November, and the full festival calendar.
FAQs
When does Ramlila start in Chandigarh in 2026?
Sharad Navratri begins on Sunday, 11 October 2026 and Dussehra is Tuesday, 20 October. Wikipedia says the city Ramleelas run from Amavasya to Dashami, so a few committees may start a day earlier.
Which are the oldest Ramlila committees in Chandigarh?
Wikipedia names the Navyug committee in Sector 7, the Garhwal Ramleela Mandal in Sector 28 and the Chandigarh Ramleela Committee in Sector 22-B, and says these three are the oldest.
How many places stage Ramlila in Chandigarh?
Wikipedia gives almost 60 places, of which 40 are registered, from a 2016 press report. The number varies by year, so treat it as a rough size.
What is Bharat Milap in a Chandigarh Ramlila?
In the Navyug committee account, Dussehra is the tenth day and Bharat Milap the eleventh, when Lord Ram is crowned with Raj Tilak and fireworks.
Which Chandigarh sectors have grounds named for Ramleela or Dussehra?
The Chandigarh Estate Office list names such grounds in Sectors 27, 30, 40, 41, 43, 46 and 47.
Where is Ravan Dahan in Panchkula?
At the Dusshera Ground in Sector 5, Panchkula. See our guide to Dussehra in Panchkula.
Sources
2025 figures: the Deputy Commissioner, quoted by The Tribune on 23 September 2025.
- Chandigarh Administration Home Department holiday notification for 2026
- Wikipedia, Ramlila in Chandigarh
- Wikipedia, Navyug Ramlila and Dussehra Committee
- Wikipedia, Ramlila
- Chandigarh Estate Office, list of reserve land and open grounds
- Drik Panchang, Shardiya Navratri 2026 for Chandigarh
- Drik Panchang, Durga Puja calendar 2026 for Chandigarh
- Drik Panchang, Vijayadashami 2027 for Chandigarh
The facts added to this page on 20 September 2026 were checked against the sources above.
