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RAMAYANA

Bibliographic Description

Ramayana. – New Delhi, 2015.

Year of publication
2015
Classification index (UDC)
—
Language
English
Publication type
Book
Country of Publication
—
Access
Available to all

Description

The Ramayana is one of the classic Hindu epics of India- a story of courage, loyalty, friendship and justice with deep religious significance which has been a great source of inspiration for artists throughout the centuries. Originally written in Sanskrit by the poet Valmiki more than two thousand years ago, the Ramayana tells of the many adventures and ordeals endured by the Rama during his fourteen years of exile. Banished to the forest, a long and laborious search for his beloved wife Sita who has been abducted by the cunning ten-headed demon king Ravana ensues, with help from his half-brother Lakshmana and an army of monkeys led by the monkey general Hanuman. Many Indians see the hero Rama as a deity and still venerate him as one of the ten reincarnations of the god Vishnu.

The epic was a favourite theme among Rajasthani and Pahari painters and in 1588 a Persian transcription was commissioned by the Emperor Akbar along with a series of miniatures depicting the tale by artists of the Mughal court. These, along with other great Indian examples are shown in this exhibition and display great mastery in the unique technique of miniature painting.