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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Ramlila Maidan
| other_name = 
| nickname =
| settlement_type = neighbourhood
| image_skyline =
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| pushpin_map = India Delhi
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| pushpin_map_caption = Location in New Delhi, India
| coordinates = {{coord|28.641892|N|77.230698|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[New Delhi]]
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| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
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| timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
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'''Ramlila Maidan''' also '''Ramlila Ground''' is a large ground located in [[New Delhi]], [[India]], traditionally used for staging the annual [[Ramlila]].<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2071701.ece|title=Sprawling Ramlila Maidan braces for Baba Ramdev's 'satyagrah'|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=3 June 2011|access-date=20 August 2011|last1=Jha|first1=Manisha}}</ref> It is used for [[religious festival]]s, major [[political rallies]] and meetings, and [[entertainment]] events. It is located near [[New Delhi Railway Station]] and [[Delhi Gate (Delhi)|Delhi Gate]].

==History==
The Ramlila Maidan was originally a large pond before 1930. It was filled up in the early 1930s so that annual [[Ramlila]], held in October, could be shifted here from the ''reti'' (sandy) floodplains of [[Yamuna River]] behind the [[Red Fort]], where Hindu soldiers of the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal army]] first started staging the Ramila in the 1800s. Geographically the ground falls between the [[Old Delhi]] and the [[New Delhi]]. The historic [[Turkman Gate]] of the Old city stands nearby, and the ground stretches between Aruna Asaf Ali Marg and [[Chowringhee Road|Jawaharlal Nehru Road]].<ref name="Lutgendorf1991">{{cite book|author=Philip Lutgendorf|title=The Life of a Text: Performing the Rāmcaritmānas of Tulsidas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=19zvfkwXyzUC&pg=PA253|year=1991|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-06690-8|pages=253–}}</ref><ref name=mint/> It quickly became a popular site for political meetings, with [[Mahatma Gandhi]], [[Jawaharlal Nehru]], [[Sardar Patel]] and other top nationalist leaders addressing rallies here. A small pond is still there inside the Ramlila ground as a remembrance of its history.

==Historical Events==
[[File:Ramlila Dasratha.jpg|thumb|200px| A scene from annual [[Ramlila]] at Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi, 2012]]
In 1961, then prime minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] held a public gathering welcoming [[Queen Elizabeth II]] during her state visit to India.<ref name=mint>{{cite web | title = The ground beneath her feet|publisher=Livemint| url = http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/TkGWeWDM2xZPAxfncEjMBL/Delhis-Belly--The-ground-beneath-her-feet.html |date=5 April 2014| access-date = 5 April 2014}}</ref> On [[Republic Day of India|Republic Day]], 1963 after India's defeat in [[Indo-China War of 1962|Indo-China war]], [[Lata Mangeshkar]] sang the patriotic song, "[[Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo]]" in the presence of Nehru.<ref>{{cite web | title = Unforgettable songs of national fervour |publisher==Hindustan Times | url = http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/Entertainment/Unforgettable-songs-of-national-fervour/Article1-331189.aspx | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130425012617/http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/Entertainment/Unforgettable-songs-of-national-fervour/Article1-331189.aspx | url-status = dead | archive-date = 25 April 2013 |date=14 August 2008| access-date = 5 April 2014}}</ref><ref name=mint/> Two years later in 1965, at public gathering here, then prime minister [[Lal Bahadur Shastri]] gave his slogan [[Jai Jawan Jai Kisan]].<ref name=mint/>

[[Jayaprakash Narayan]] along with prominent Opposition leaders, addressed a mammoth rally with over a lakh people participating on 25 June 1975. This was the first protest in Ramlila Maidan, which was against [[Indira Gandhi]]'s government.<ref name="Tryst with history and cries for freedom">{{cite news|title=Tryst with history and cries for freedom|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-18/delhi/29899852_1_joint-rally-ramlila-ground-opposition-rally|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922083544/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-18/delhi/29899852_1_joint-rally-ramlila-ground-opposition-rally|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 September 2012|access-date=20 August 2011|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=18 August 2011}}</ref> This was Jayaprakash Narayan last rally before he was arrested.<ref name="Tryst with history">{{cite news|title=Tryst with history|url=http://www.newsbullet.in/video/india/15772-ramlila-ground-tryst-with-history|access-date=20 August 2011|newspaper=[[STAR News]]|date=18 August 2011}}</ref>

Just after [[The Emergency (India)|Emergency]] situation was removed in India, in February 1977, several anti-Congress(opposition) leaders came on a common platform to form [[Janata Party]]. The Joint rally was held at Ramlila and was led by several opposition leaders [[Jagjivan Ram]], [[Morarji Desai]], [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]], [[Charan Singh]] and [[Chandra Shekhar]]. Since Vajpayee had by then already acquired the reputation of a master orator, large crowds turned up to listen to him, as also the other speakers. The rally also a large number of Muslims had turned up to hear the [[Shahi Imam]], Bukhari Senior, who had extended their backing to the [[Janata Party]].<ref name="Ramlila Ground: Tryst with history and cries for freedom">{{cite news|title=Ramlila Ground: Tryst with history and cries for freedom|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-08-18/news/29900704_1_rally-ramlila-maidan-indira-gandhi|access-date=20 August 2011|newspaper=[[The Economic Times]]|date=18 August 2011}}</ref>

The [[2011 Indian anti-corruption movement|2011 anti corruption demonstration]] of [[Anna Hazare]] and the 2013 as well as the 2015 oath ceremony of the Delhi chief minister [[Arvind Kejriwal]] also took place at the Ramlila Maidan.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.dnaindia.com/delhi/report-arvind-kejriwal-to-take-metro-to-reach-ramlila-maidan-1941462| title = Arvind Kejriwal to take Metro to reach Ramlila Maidan | date = 27 December 2013 | access-date = 29 December 2013 | newspaper = [[DNA (newspaper)|DNA]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=14 February 2015 |title=It's AAP ki Dilli: Arvind Kejriwal takes oath as Delhi chief minister at packed Ramlila Maidan |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/newdelhi/live-it-s-aap-ki-dilli-arvind-kejriwal-takes-oath-as-delhi-chief-minister-at-ramlila-maidan/article1-1316659.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214094653/http://www.hindustantimes.com/newdelhi/live-it-s-aap-ki-dilli-arvind-kejriwal-takes-oath-as-delhi-chief-minister-at-ramlila-maidan/article1-1316659.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 February 2015 |publisher=Hindustan Times |access-date=14 February 2015}}</ref>

===Inauguration of Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad as Grand Mufti of India===
{{Main|Grand Muftiship of Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad}}
The inauguration of [[Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad]] as the [[Grand Mufti of India]] took place on Sunday, 24 February 2019. The inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in Ramlila Maidan, marked the commencement of the term of [[Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad]] as [[Grand Mufti of India]] and President of the [[Islamic Community of India]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kozhikode/kanthapuram-selected-grand-mufti-of-india/articleshow/68175547.cms|title=Kanthapuram selected Grand Mufti of India {{!}} Kozhikode News - Times of India|last=27 Feb|first=tnn {{!}}|last2=2019|website=The Times of India|language=en|access-date=15 February 2020|last3=Ist|first3=04:54}}</ref>

==Recent Events==
[[File:People Gathered at Ramlila maidan on Anna Hazare's Fast.jpg|thumb|200px|People Gathered at Ramlila maidan on Anna Hazare's Fast.]]
Ramlila Maidan was also venue for [[Swami Ramdev]] for his indefinite hunger strike on 4 June 2011 to bring back the black money stashed in tax havens abroad,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=242834 |title=Government agrees to my demands, but fast on: Ramdev |author=Indo-Asian News Service |date=4 June 2011 |publisher=Manglorean Media|access-date=21 July 2011|author-link=Indo-Asian News Service }}</ref> which saw 65,000 odd supporters. However, the event came to highlight when [[Delhi Police]] on 6 June along with a large police force lobbed [[tear gas]] shells, burned the place and [[lathicharge]] the crowd at 1 am (IST) to evict them.<ref name=TOI2011-06-05>{{cite news |title=30 injured in police sweep at Ramlila Maidan |author=Press Trust of India|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-06-05/india/29622682_1_lnjp-hospital-teargas-shells-lok-nayak-jai-prakash|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104152640/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-06-05/india/29622682_1_lnjp-hospital-teargas-shells-lok-nayak-jai-prakash|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 January 2012|newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |location=[[New Delhi]] |date=5 June 2011 |access-date=22 July 2011|author-link=Press Trust of India}}</ref>

2011 again saw anti-corruption protests in the month of August; this time from the activist [[Anna Hazare]].<ref>[[2011 Indian anti-corruption movement#Ramdev.27s ground protests at Ramlila Maidan]]</ref>

The month of November of the same year saw another gathering, this time mainly from the minorities under the banner [[Social Justice conference]]. The conference sought to build the nation on the ideals of social justice that the nation was lacking even after 6 decades of independence.<ref>[[Social Justice conference]]</ref>
<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article2666578.ece | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | title=Front seeks greater representation for Muslims | date=28 November 2011}}</ref>

In April 2021, ICU facilities were created in the place and vacant Ramlila ground in East Delhi, as the city was running out of ICU(Intensive Care Unit) beds and lot of fresh Covid-19 cases being reported continuously.<ref name="Ground Ref1">{{cite news |title=Delhi govt to add 1,000 ICU beds at Ramlila grounds |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/delhi-govt-to-add-1-000-icu-beds-at-ramlila-grounds-101619557484822.html |access-date=25 July 2021 |publisher=Hindustan Times |date=28 April 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Ramlila Maidan protests]] - Protests in June 2011 at Ramlila maidan.
*[[2011 Indian anti-corruption movement]] - Protests in August 2011 at Ramlila maidan.
*[[Social Justice conference]] - Ramlila : Convergence ground for Social Justice

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Delhi}}

[[Category:New Delhi]]
[[Category:Maidans in India]]
[[Category:Playgrounds]]
[[Category:Culture of Delhi]]

Ramlila Maidan - Revision history

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