After being initially rejected by Doordarshan due to perceived lack of interest in religious programming, the series quickly went on to become the most popular series in Indian television history, reaching over 100 million viewers each week. Its popularity reached a point of what the Indian news magazine India Today called "'Ramayan' fever", where religious services were rescheduled, buses, trains, and inter-city trucks were stopped, and shops would close every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. so that people would gather to watch the show. In villages, watching the show became a religious ritual unto itself. The show's popularity would remain the highest in history until a few years later, when Mahabharat (1988), also based on an ancient Hindu epic, would exceed its popularity.
Arun Govil who played lord Ram and Deepika Chikalia who played Sita.Wherever they went in public, people would stop & stoop to take their blessings.
It was most watched series till now having more than 200 million viewers at that time.
While the serial was screened on television people would do various Hindu rituals like they would have bath early in the morning while sitting to watch the serial,people would not wear footwear while sitting in front of television.While some would lit the Agarbatti's or break a coconut before the serial starts as they considered it very holy.
The series was reaired during the 2020 Coronavirus lockdown and broke several viewership records globally which includes setting the record for one of the most watched TV show ever in the world, with 77 million viewers on 16 April 2020.