Scenes from the Ramayana. Photo by Dennis Jarvis.
The two classical Indian epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata , are not only some of the oldest tales in human history. The widely loved stories can also help us make sense of our world today, writes JAMES GIGGACHER. The ten-headed, twenty-armed demon king Ravana spies the beautiful Indian princess Sita in her forest home. Falling in love, he vows to make her his own and steals her away to his fortress on the island of Lanka. Sita's husband, Rama, an invincible incarnation of the god Vishnu and heir to the throne, enlists the help of the monkey-hero hanuman to find his stolen bride. hanuman, who once jumped so high that he burnt his fingers on the sun, leaps across the ocean to Lanka, where he finds Sita. Returning to Rama, the two heroes lead an army of animals to fight Ravana's demon hordes, destroying his fortress and winning Sita back.
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