Ramayana

Description

Rama's stepmother Kaikeyi longs to see her son Bharata crowned king, and persuades King Dasaratha that Rama, the rightful heir, should be sent into exile for fourteen years. Rama's beautiful and devoted wife Sita, and Lakshmana his inseparable half-brother, both choose to accompany him. Rama, Sita and Lakshmana live happily in the forest until the demon king Ravana is told by his sister that Sita is the most beautiful princess in the world. He decides to kidnap her, and lures her away to his kingdom in the south. Rama and Lakshmana must rescue Sita, and call on the great monkey army, led by the warrior Hanuman, to help them find her. Rama uses his time in exile to learn the true meaning of devotion and loyalty, but will the lessons earn him the reward he deserves?

VALMIKI was a Hindu sage who lived around the beginning of the first millennium B.C. He is referred to as the 'adikavi', the original creator of the Hindu 'sloka' - a verse form in which most of the great epics such as Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas, and other works are composed. K.R. RAJI is a professional painter. She studied Fine Arts at the National School of Arts, Manjeri, and has shown her work at many painting exhibitions. She has also participated in artists' camps in Kerala and further afield. One of the best translators in India, PREMA JAYAKUMAR quit her job with a top bank in India to work on translations full time. Her latest translation, Wind from the Hills, was shortlisted for the Crossword Award 2008 and longlisted for the Golden Quill Award. Her translation of the famous Malayalam book Yakshi was picked by the BBC for their 'Off the Bookshelf', while her translation of Pandavapuram has inspired a Bengali movie. Apart from translations, she writes for periodicals and newspapers. Prema is also a Sanskrit scholar, with a passion for the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.