The Ramayana, traditionally
ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki,
is an ancient Sanskrit poem. It tells of Prince Rama’s banishment from his kingdom by
his father; his travels and adventures in forests across India with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana;
Sita’s kidnap by Ravana,
the demon king; Rama’s
struggles to rescue Sita.
The characters Rama, Sita,
Lakshmana, Bharata, an emperor, Hanuman, the monkey god, and Ravana are known throughout India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and
south-east Asian countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Versions of the Ramayana are
found in Khmer, Bahasa Indonesia, Malaysian, Tagalog, Thai, Lao, and
Burmese,
as well as in Indian languages.
Rama, from the Wayang Kulit, or shadow puppet theatre, Surakarta, Central Java.
Sita mask Wayang Wong dance drama, Bali.
The Ramayana has had an influence
on Bollywood. Mani Ratnam’s Raavan was
loosly based on the Ramayana. This is the Ravana character.
An Indian representation of Hanuman,
the monkey god.
This
illustration shows the battle
between the armies of Prince Rama and his enemy the King of Lanka. It is held
in the collections of the British Library.
An artist's impression of
Valmiki Muni composing the Ramyana.
