Managed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the 12-acre ground can accommodate up to 50,000 people. Applicants must obtain a no-objection certificate from Delhi Police before the civic body grants permission. A small portion is available free of charge for gatherings of up to 150 people.
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The venue is currently booked for major festival programmes including Dussehra and Diwali. Big events are known to block the neighbouring roads.
The venue has been designated as one of three new protest sites, alongside Burari Ground and CBD Ground in east Delhi, following a Delhi Police order dated October 11 that de-notified Jantar Mantar as a protest venue. A detailed revised standard operating procedure for demonstrations at the new sites is expected separately.
AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj posted on X, "Govt. played another fraud with its citizens. The Ramleela Maidan is occupied with two Ramleelas. How can one hold a protest here? Do they want to create chaos?" he asked.
The booking requirements have raised concerns over accessibility for smaller groups. According to MCD data sourced by Hindustan Times, Ramlila Maidan was booked 27 times between January 2024 and September 2026, including nine political rallies and public meetings and four peaceful protests.
A ground steeped in history
Ramlila Maidan has been a landmark in India’s political history for decades. Until 1930, the site was a pond, which was filled and levelled to host Ramlila performances. The tradition of hosting these performances began in 1932 and continues today.
After Independence, the area was developed in 1951 to provide livelihoods to refugees who had arrived from Pakistan. It subsequently became a stage for major political gatherings.
In 1952, Syama Prasad Mookerjee launched a satyagraha demanding the complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir into the Indian Union. Jawaharlal Nehru addressed large public meetings there in 1956 and 1957, while a permanent stage was built in 1962 for an event honouring Queen Elizabeth II.
The ground also hosted a rally addressed by Jayaprakash Narayan and Atal Bihari Vajpayee on June 25, 1975, the day the Emergency was declared. Indira Gandhi addressed a gathering there after the 1971 victory over Pakistan, and Arvind Kejriwal took oath as Delhi chief minister at the venue in 2013.
Located about 4 km from Jantar Mantar, the ground sits in a busy commercial area near three hospitals and municipal corporation headquarters. Large events have frequently strained nearby roads, with traffic diversions required to manage congestion.