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BIZARRE: Valmiki - You Need To See This

Did Ravana Really Attend Sita’s Swayamvar? The Truth

If you grew up watching televised versions of the Ramayana, you may remember Ravana appearing at Sita’s swayamvar, surrounded by powerful kings and confidently attempting to lift Lord Shiva’s mighty bow. But there is an important question behind this familiar scene: is this actually described in the major Ramayana texts?…

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Why Did Hanuman Throw His Own Ramayana Into The Sea?

Imagine writing something from your heart, pouring your devotion, emotion and memories into every word. Then imagine willingly giving it away because someone else’s work deserves recognition. According to a traditional devotional legend, this is what happened with Hanuman and his Ramayana. The story says that Hanuman wrote his own…

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Did Ram Really Abandon Sita? The Ancient Story Explained

What if one of the most famous separations in Indian tradition was never described as a divorce at all? The story of Rama and Sita has been told for generations as a story of love, sacrifice, duty and dharma. Yet their later separation raises a difficult question that feels surprisingly…

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How Urmila Helped Lakshman Defeat Meghnad

The Ramayana is filled with stories of courage, devotion and sacrifice. But some of its most powerful stories belong to people who remained in the background. One such story is that of Urmila, Lakshman’s wife. While Lakshman followed Lord Ram and Sita into the forest, Urmila remained in Ayodhya. At…

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The Uttarakanda of the Ramayana Shows What Dharma and Exile Cost After the War Is Won

The book most readers skipMost editions of the Valmiki Ramayana sold in Indian homes stop at the Yuddha Kanda. The war ends, Ravana falls, Sita passes the agni pariksha, and Rama returns to Ayodhya. The Pushpaka vimana lands. Coronation. Reunion. The story closes the way a story should. The Uttarakanda,…

Times Life

Sita's Agnipariksha in the Ramayana Is an Ordeal About Purity, Dharma, and What We Still Demand of Women

What Valmiki Actually WroteThe fire is lit in the Yuddha Kanda. The war is over. Ravana is dead. Rama has won. And then, in front of his army, his allies, the vanaras, and the rakshasas who watched the whole siege, he turns to Sita and says he cannot take her…

Times Life

The Sarus Crane Mates for Life: The Biology of Monogamy and the Reality of Grief

The tallest flying bird in the world, and what it chose to do with thatGrus antigone, the sarus crane, stands up to 1.8 metres tall, making it the tallest flying bird on the planet. It lives across the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and northern Australia, but its stronghold is the…

Times Life

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Was Hanuman Really Shiva’s Avatar? The Shocking Debate

Few figures in Hindu tradition are loved as deeply as Hanuman Ji. His devotion, strength, and unwavering loyalty to Lord Rama have inspired generations. Yet hidden beneath this universal admiration lies a fascinating question that continues to spark debate among scholars and devotees alike. Was Hanuman Ji truly an avatar…

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Why Rama Sent Sita Away Despite Loving Her

There are moments in the Ramayana that invite not just devotion, but deep reflection. Among them, one question continues to stay with readers across generations. Why did Rama, known for his unwavering commitment to dharma, send Sita away despite his love for her. This episode is not presented as a…

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Why Lord Ram Never Ate Before Feeding Others

The exact sentence that Lord Ram “never ate before feeding others” does not appear as a single famous line in the Valmiki Ramayana. But the idea comes from the way the epic consistently presents his character. He is shown as someone who does not treat food as a private pleasure,…

Times Life

Why Sita’s Temple Breaks Siya-Ram Tradition

In the sacred land of Bithoor lies a temple that surprises every visitor. Here, Goddess Sita is worshipped alone, without Lord Ram. This is not a separation of faith but a reflection of a deeply emotional chapter of the Ramayana. The temple holds silence, strength, and a story that challenges…

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Did You Know Ramayana Didn’t Happen Just Once… But 11 Times?

What if the Ramayana is not just a story from the past, but a pattern that keeps repeating itself across time? Most of us have grown up hearing it as a single epic, a tale of Lord Ram, Sita, and Ravana that happened once in history. But Hindu philosophy does…

Times Life

Ram Navami 2026: Date, Puja Timings, Rituals & Story

Ram Navami is believed to be one of the most profound and spiritually significant festivals in Hindu tradition. This is the day in which Bhagwan Shri Ram, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, descended on earth for the destruction of evil. This is the reason why during Ram Navami devotees…

Times Life

6 Reasons the Ramayana Debate Never Ends

For centuries, people have turned to the Ramayana not just as a story, but as a guide to understanding morality, duty, and human relationships. Yet despite being one of the most loved epics in the world, it is also one of the most debated. Scholars, devotees, historians, and ordinary readers…

Times Life

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Times Life

If Ramayana Was Myth, Why Do These 5 Countries Still Celebrate It?

For thousands of years, the Ramayana has been one of the most influential stories in human civilization. Written by the sage Valmiki, the epic tells the journey of Lord Ram, his exile, the abduction of Sita, and the battle against Ravana. Many people today discuss the Ramayana as mythology, literature,…

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Do You Know the Secrets Behind These Famous Temple Prasads?

India is a land of devotion, where every temple tells a story. While the towering spires and intricate carvings capture the eye, it is the prasad the blessed food offered to the deity that captures the heart. These sacred offerings are more than food; they are symbols of love, faith,…

Times Life

If Ravana Was Evil, Why Is He Worshipped in Some Places?

“रामो विग्रहवान् धर्मः” Rama is the embodiment of dharma. This declaration from the Valmiki Ramayana sets the tone for how generations have understood the epic. Rama represents righteousness. Ravana represents adharma. Every year on Dussehra, his effigy is burned to symbolize the destruction of evil. Yet here is a question…

Newslaundry

Why did Arvind Kejriwal lose his assembly seat? Here’s all the reasons why

The BJP ended its 27-year drought in Delhi with a landslide victory on February 8. As this story was published, the BJP had officially won 44 seats and is leading in four against the AAP’s winning in 21 and leading in one. A simple majority in the 70-seat Delhi assembly…

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Newslaundry

In Ayodhya, a Ramkatha troupe 10 years ago foretold history

At 12 years old, Akshay had the air of a contemplative adult. For three full days, he regaled me with information – all the facts, figures and folklore related to his village 12 km from Ayodhya.

The Hindu

₹1.5 lakh to each district to conduct Valmiki Jayanti on Oct. 28

Youth Empowerment, Sports and Scheduled Tribe Welfare Minister B. Nagendra on Tuesday said the Valmiki Jayanti will be celebrated on a grand scale across the State on October 28. It will be conducted at the Banquet Hall of the Vidhana Soudha and at all district headquarters.

The Hindu

VMC celebrates Valmiki Jayanti

VIJAYAWADA

The Times of India

Dharma means discovering your humanity and how human you are: Devdutt Pattanaik

Keeping up with the festive spirit of Dussehra, popular Indian mythologist-author Devdutt Pattanaik is back with a new audiobook 'Ravana 360' on Audible. As the title suggests, in this audiobook Pattanaik shares the lesser-known stories of Ravana-- who was not just a demon King of Lanka but also a son,…

The Times of India

Terrain challenge for planting of Ramayan-era trees in UP

LUCKNOW: The planting of Ramayana-era trees at the sites mentioned in the epic by Valmiki is easier said than done for the departments planting the species, given the topography, feel experts.

The Times of India

I don’t believe Ram was a god, says former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi

PATNA: Former CM and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi courted controversy yet again on Thursday by describing Lord Rama as a fictional character from the epics the Ramayana and Ram Charit Manas, written by Valmiki and Tulsi Das, respectively. He had made a similar statement about Lord…

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