Ramayana

Rama (or Ramacandra) is the seventh avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. His adventures include the slaying of the demon king Ravana which is recounted in the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata and in the Ramayana, the oldest Sanskrit epic, written...

Hanuman is one of several zoomorphic characters in Indian mythology, but is the only wholly animal figure who is revered as a god today. The mythic texts speak of him as a monkey child of the Wind God, as possessing enormous strength, keen...

Ravana is the mythical multi-headed demon-king of Lanka in Hindu mythology. With ten heads and twenty arms, Ravana could change into any form he wished. Representing the very essence of evil, he famously fought and ultimately lost a series...

Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world, originating in Central Asia and the Indus Valley, still practiced in the present day. The term Hinduism is what is known as an exonym (a name given by others to a people, place, or concept) and...

The Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic where the main story revolves around two branches of a family - the Pandavas and Kauravas - who, in the Kurukshetra War, battle for the throne of Hastinapura. Interwoven into this narrative are several...

A small carved figurine sits high on a grand multi-tiered pedestal in a magnificent wat (temple) in Bangkok, Thailand. It has been sitting there since 1784 CE and was originally thought to be made of emerald. Hundreds of tourists and...

Arjuna (also given as Arjun) is the great hero of the Indian epic Mahabharata and the philosophical-religious dialogue Bhagavad Gita. His name means “shining”, “silver” and similar terms relating to brightness. He...

A sculpture of the Hindu hero Rama from Srivaikundam, Tamil Nadu India. Alongside him is the faithful monkey warrior Hanuman who helped Rama defeat the Demon king Ravana.

A relief scene from the Ramayana where Lakshmana cuts off the ears and nose of the demoness Surpanakha while Rama looks on from the left with his bow. Gupta period from Deogarh, Uttar Pradesh. (National Museum, New Delhi, India).

The Bhagavad Gita (“Song of God” or “Song of the Lord”) is among the most important religious texts of Hinduism and easily the best known. It has been quoted by writers, poets, scientists, theologians, and philosophers...

Lord Hanuman is best known for his Strength, Perseverance and most importantly courage. Hanuman's tale in the epic Ramayana - where he is assigned the responsibility to locate Rama's wife Sita abducted by Ravana, the demon king of Lanka...

The places that are mentioned in the Ramayana. An interactive version of this map, where the events can be seen on mouseover, is at http://ani-basu.carto.com/viz/fc3a3582-693d-11e6-8680-0ee66e2c9693/public_map.

The next entry in our parade of heroes is Rama, the protagonist of the Ramayana, one of India’s oldest stories. We’re going to be talking about Rama’s importance to Hindu culture, and how Rama fits into Campbell’s idea of the Hero’s Journey...

A copper alloy statue of Hanuman, the magically-gifted monkey who was the ally of Rama in Hinduism. From Tamil Nadu, India, c. 1600 CE. (Los Angeles County Museum of Art)

Lord Rama is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu and the King of Ayodhya. His adherence to Dharma (Religion) despite harsh circumstances has made him widely known as the ideal man and perfect human. Watch the video for more information...

A 20th century CE print depicting Hanuman finding Sita in the Ashoka grove on Lanka after her abduction by the demon king Ravana. (M.V. Sharma)

Vishnu is one of the most important gods in the Hindu pantheon and considered a member of the holy trinity (trimurti) of Hinduism with Brahma and Shiva. Vishnu is the Preserver and guardian of men, he protects the order of things (dharma...

A monumental statue of Hanuman, the Hindu monkey-god and follower of the hero Rama. Venkatesh Balaji Temple, Buldana District, Maharashtra India.

The 'Hanuman Chalisa' is a 16th CE poem of about 40 verses extolling the monkey-god Hanuman: his devotion to Rama, his strength and wisdom, and his role in the Rama-Ravana battle. The poem is a popular one in India; many people recite it...

A map showing some of the places that are mentioned in the Mahabharata. Not all places are plotted, but only those that can be identified today with any degree of certainty. An interactive version of this map is at https://ani-basu.carto.com/viz/038fc0d8-62de-11e6-9fed-0ee66e2c9693/public_map...

An 18th century CE miniature depicting a famous scene from the Mahabharata in which Draupadi is humiliated in the court of Duryodhan during the struggle for the control of Indraprastha.

The first comprehensive survey of Sri Lankan art organized by an American museum, The Jeweled Isle: Art from Sri Lanka, on show now at the LACMA in Los Angeles, California, presents some 250 works addressing nearly two millennia of Sri Lankan...

A modern illustration depicting the Hindu hero Rama alongside his wife Sita and faithful companion and brother Laksmana.

Herodotus (484 BCE – c. 425 BCE) has been called the Father of History since he was the first historian known to collect his materials in detail, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a well-constructed and vivid...

Ancient India in the Vedic Period (c. 1500-1000 BCE) did not have social stratification based on socio-economic indicators; rather, citizens were classified according to their Varna or castes. 'Varna' defines the hereditary roots of a newborn...

The chariot was the elite arm of ancient Indian armies in the Vedic (1500 BCE – 1000 BCE) and Epic periods (described by the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, 1000-600 BCE) because of the advantages it conferred and the selection of plain...

Nalini Malani on "Hanuman Bearing the Mountaintop with Medicinal Herbs" "I'm attracted to the myths because, for me, it's a language to link with people." The Artist Project is a 2015 online series in which we give artists an opportunity...

Although it has been commonly accepted that cats were first domesticated in Egypt 4000 years ago, their history among human beings goes back much further. Wild cats are now known to have lived among the people of Mesopotamia over 100,000...

In the Vedas, the apsaras are water nymphs, often married to the gandharvas. By the time the Puranas and the two epics were composed, the apsaras and gandharvas had become performing artists to the gods; the apsaras are singers, dancers...

For well over 1,000 years, sacred stories and heroic epics have made up the mythology of Hinduism. Nothing in these complex yet colourful legends is fixed and firm. Pulsing with creation, destruction, love, and war, it shifts and changes...

India is a country in South Asia whose name comes from the Indus River. The name 'Bharata' is used as a designation for the country in their constitution referencing the ancient mythological emperor, Bharata, whose story is told, in part...

The sacred pool at Katas Raj Temples, said to have sprung from the tears of Shiva at the loss of his wife Satti. It is said to be the twin of the pool at Puruksha at Ajmer and is considered to be where the Pandawa brothers of the Mahabharata...

Brahma is the Hindu creator god. He is also known as the Grandfather and as a later equivalent of Prajapati, the primeval first god. In early Hindu sources such as the Mahabharata, Brahma is supreme in the triad of great Hindu gods which...

The current king of Thailand is His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Rama X (r. 2016-present) who is the first king in 69 years after succeeding his father Rama IX (1927-2016 CE).

A depiction of Ravana the rakshasa Demon king. In the Hindu epic poem 'Ramayana' Ravana is defeated by the hero Rama.

Literature (from the Latin Littera meaning 'letters' and referring to an acquaintance with the written word) is the written work of a specific culture, sub-culture, religion, philosophy or the study of such written work which may appear in...

The religious practices of the early Indo-Aryans, known as the Vedic religion (1500 BCE to 500 BCE) were written down and later redacted into the Samhitas, four canonical collections of hymns or mantras, called the Veda, in archaic Sanskrit...

Mithila, a region in the state of Bihar, northern India (and also stretching into Nepal), has an important tradition of knowledge in the form of paintings. Madhubani paintings (also known as Mithila paintings) have been practised...

The Kuru family tree, from Shantanu downwards, at the time of the Mahabharata war. Those already dead at the time of the war are in grey; those who were formally coronated have a crown alongside with their names.

A watercolur painting on cloth depicting Karna, leader of the Kauravas during the Kurukshetra war as recounted in the epic Mahabharata.

According to some intepretations this temple relief sculpture represents the five Pandavas of Hindu mythology and Draupadi, one of their wives. The heroes of the epic Mahabharata are here shown (left to right): Bhima, Arjuna, Yudisthira...

A scene depicting the two opposing armies of the Pandavas and the Kauravas (left) in the Kurukshetra War of the epic Mahabharata. (1700 CE watercolour, Mewar, India)

Kunti leads the blindfolded Gandhari and a blind Dhritarashtra, parents of the 100 Kauravas, into exile in a scene from the Mahabharata. 16th century CE print by Dhanu.

Garuda is a bird creature from Hindu mythology that has a mix of eagle and human features. He is the vehicle (vahana) of Vishnu and appears on the god's banner. Garuda represents birth and heaven, and is the enemy of all snakes. In Indian...

Pandavas were the five powerful and skilled sons of Pandu, the King of Hastinapur and his two wives Kunti and Madri. Hastinapur is equated with the current modern Indian state of Haryana, south of New Delhi. The Pandavas - Yudhistira, Bhima...

Lakshmi (or Laksmi) is the Hindu goddess of wealth, good fortune, youth, and beauty. She is the wife of the great god Vishnu and the pair is often worshipped in tandem as Lakshmi-Narayana.  Just as her husband has many avatars when he...

The life of a cat in the Middle Ages (c. 476-1500 CE) differed significantly from that of a dog owing primarily to its association with witchcraft, darkness, and the devil. In the ancient world, the cat was regarded highly by cultures as...

Relief scenes from the Ramayana on the staircase of the Kailasa temple at Ellora, 8-9th century CE. Ellora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a meeting place of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain art philosophies. A large portion of it was built between...

Angkor Wat is a temple complex in the province of Siem Reap, Cambodia originally dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu in the 12th century CE. It is among the largest religious buildings ever created, second only to the Temple of Karnak at Thebes...

A 16th-century painting illustrating a battle scene in the Bhagavad Gita, during the battle of Kurukshetra. Arjuna (far right), hero and leader of the Pandava army, is supported by his personal charioteer, the god Krishna (second from...

Sculpture on the outer walls of the Channakesava temple at Belur, showing Arjuna in the act of piercing the fish. Belur, Karnataka, India, 12th century CE.

Dancing celestial attendant (apsara). From India (Uttar Pradesh). Early 12th century CE. Sandstone. H. 331/2 in. (85.1 cm) Promised Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving (L 1993.88.2) Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC.

Celestial Musician (Gandharva), Western Chalukyan period, 11th century CE, India (Karnataka, possibly Dharwar). (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

Size of some of the epic poems of the ancient world, reckoned by the number of lines they contain.

Dogs have been a part of the history of human beings since before the written word. The ancient temple of Gobekli-Tepe in Turkey, dated to at least 12,000 years BCE, has provided archaeologists with evidence of domesticated...

When it comes to ancient history, Pakistan contains its fair share of treasures, one of the prominent of these being the ancient metropolis of Taxila. It is a city of the Gandharan civilization, sometimes known as one of its capitals, whose...

The Gurjara-Pratiharas, or simply, the Pratiharas (8th century CE - 11th century CE) held their sway over western and northern India. This dynasty saw its fortunes rising under Nagabhata I (730–760 CE) who successfully defeated Arab...

The Indus Valley Civilization was a cultural and political entity which flourished in the northern region of the Indian subcontinent between c. 7000 - c. 600 BCE. Its modern name derives from its location in the valley of the Indus River...

The Vedas are the religious texts which inform the religion of Hinduism (also known as Sanatan Dharma meaning “Eternal Order” or “Eternal Path”). The term veda means “knowledge” in that they are thought...

Any itinerary for a visit to Bangkok, Thailand would include some of the city's must-see historical and cultural sights:  The 24-hour flower market (Pak Khlong Talat) filled to the brim with jasmine-scented garlands, fragrant carnations...