The Ramayana

R.K.Narayan's Ramayana was inspired by Kamban,an 11th -Century Tamil Poet. The Original Version was written in Sanskrit by the Poet Valmiki as early as 1500 BC.Etched on Palm Leaves,Kamban's work spans about 10,500 stanzas.The Story centres on Rama's courtship of the fourteen-year-old Sita, their exile, Sita's abduction by Ravana, and the ensuing battle between Rama and Ravana to rescue Sita. The Ramayana reflects the cultural life of the Indian people, along with their moral and social values. In the author's words: " The Ramayana pervades our cultural life in one form or another at all times. It may be as a scholarly discourse at a public hall, a traditional storyteller's narrative in an open space, or a play or dance-drama on stage.... One accepts this at different levels: as a mere tale with impressive character studies, as a masterpiece of literary composition, or even a scripture. " It is a book of " Perennial philosophy".