Ramayana Circuit Overview
The Ramayana, composed by sage Valmiki around 5th century BCE, tells the story of Prince Rama of Ayodhya whose wife Sita is abducted by the demon king Ravana of Lanka. The 24,000 verse epic is central to Hindu tradition, with Rama revered as the ideal man who always upheld dharma.
Major Sites
Northern India (Ayodhya to Chitrakoot)
- Ayodhya — Birthplace; Ram Janmabhoomi temple site; Hanuman Garhi
- Nandigram — Where Rama turned back after exile began
- Bharatpur — Where Bharata ruled during Rama's exile ( Nandigram)
- Shringverpur — Where Guha the ferryman helped Rama cross Ganga
- Chitrakoot — Dense forest where Rama spent years; Mandakini river
Central India (Madhya Pradesh)
- Panchavati (Nashik) — Teja, Nrisinha, Jav, Sarpas
- Lakshmana Rekha — Line drawn by Lakshmana to protect Sita
- Rama's battle with Viradha at this site
Eastern UP & Bihar
- Janakpur (Nepal) — Sita's birthplace; site of marriage ceremony
- Sitamarhi — Sita's childhood home; Janaki Temple
South India (Tamil Nadu)
- Rameswaram — Where Rama prayed to Shiva; 22 theerthams (holy wells)
- Shanmuganathaswamy Temple — Ramanathaswamy with longest corridor
Sri Lanka
- Anuradhapura — Ravana's capital; Ashok Vatika where Sita was held
- Weligama — Vibhishana's coronation site
- Ravana Ella Falls — Where Sita was taken
Key Deities of the Ramayana
| Deity |
Role |
Key Attributes |
| Rama |
Hero, Maryada Purushottam |
Bow, arrow, ideal king |
| Sita |
Heroine, daughter of Janaka |
Purity, fidelity |
| Lakshmana |
Rama's brother |
Devoted servant |
| Hanuman |
Monkey ally |
Flying, strength, devotion |
| Ravana |
Antagonist |
10 heads, scholarly |
| Bharat |
Rama's brother |
Selfless, ruled in Rama's place |
| shatrughna |
Twin brother of Lakshmana |
Warrior |
Ramayana in Art and Literature
The Ramayana has been adapted across:
- Tamil: Kamban's Ramavataram (12th c.)
- Bengali: Krittivasi Ramayan (15th c.)
- Thai: Ramakien
- Indonesian: Kakawin Ramayana
- Malay: Hikayat Rama dan Sita
- Myanmar: Ramadetha
