Ramayana

The Ramayana, attributed to the sage Valmiki, tells the story of Rama, prince of Ayodhya: his exile, the abduction of Sita by Ravana, the alliance with Hanuman and Sugriva, the war in Lanka and the return to Ayodhya. These guides summarise each of the seven kandas, profile the main characters and compare Valmiki's text with later retellings such as Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas and Kamban's Ramavataram. Where a popular episode comes from a later tradition rather than Valmiki, the page says so.