VARANASI: Chetganj's Nakkataiya performance went ahead on Thursday, October 29, 2026, despite rain that had disrupted preparations during the day. The Ramayana episode was staged after 9 pm IST near the Hanuman temple at Chetganj crossroads, bringing residents out with umbrellas and raincoats for the festival's 140th edition.
The immediate local concern was movement through the wet fair area. Residents around Chetganj, Lahurabir, Senpura and Pandariba should check conditions on their own approach roads and follow instructions at the scene. Reports confirming the performance do not establish a citywide road closure or a fixed time when every fair route reopened.
For families deciding whether the rain had stopped the event, the overnight reports provide a clear answer: the central leela took place. They also describe spectators gathering as the evening progressed and preparations for the moving tableaux after the performance. A completed stage scene should not be read as confirmation that every planned tableau appeared on schedule.
What happened at the leela
The enactment centred on the episode involving Surpanakha, whose nose is cut in the Ramayana narrative. The performance near the old Hanuman temple was followed by preparations for the traditional laag vimaan tableaux. Spectators joined religious chants at the scene, while rain protection became part of the audience's arrangements for watching.
An overnight report describes models of military aircraft recalling the city's recent air show, along with a performer representing Kali and demonstrating traditional feats. These were attractions within the street festival. The aircraft theme referred to the tableaux, not a fresh flying display above Chetganj.
The Shri Chetganj Ramlila Samiti had announced participation from Varanasi and neighbouring districts. The overnight account describes tableaux from Prayagraj, Mirzapur and Bhadohi reaching the Lahurabir area. Coloured lights decorated the fair streets, where stalls and religious music accompanied the moving displays. Spectators watched under umbrellas and in raincoats as the tableaux advanced.
The streets and preparations behind the programme
At their briefing before the event, committee members identified the stretch from Lahurabir crossroads towards Beniyabagh, the Chetganj Hanuman temple area and the road towards Pandariba as places needing attention before the tableaux moved. Their request focused on repairs to roads and lanes used by performers and spectators. It was a request for work, rather than a published traffic diversion order.
Committee president Ajay Gupta and vice president Tanuj Pandey were among those associated with the preparations. The committee also sought financial assistance for the fair and restoration of Ramlila spaces. Those appeals form part of the event's preparation record; the available reports do not establish a new grant sanction or a payment to the organisers.
The organisers trace Nakkataiya's beginnings to Baba Fateh Ram and describe the use of performance and satire to address social concerns during the colonial period. The present programme retains both the staged religious episode and the moving tableaux, rather than treating the celebration as a single seated performance.
What residents should do
Anyone using the fair area's roads should confirm the situation locally before entering with luggage or arranging a pickup. People accompanying children or older relatives should choose an approach and meeting point after checking conditions, rather than assume that a route used in a previous year is open. No verified current diversion notice is being supplied with this report.
The Uttar Pradesh government's festival directory identifies Nakkataiya with Chetganj. The official Kashi events portal also carries an archival festival listing and photograph. Its older calendar entries should not be used as the October 2026 programme or as evidence of current road arrangements.
Readers following the city's other cultural programmes can find separate coverage of the Ramnagar coronation performance, the Lat Bhairav Ramlila at Visheshwarganj and music and Kathak listings at New Asi Ghat. Each has its own venue and programme; none supplies a substitute route plan for Chetganj.
