The Rámáyan of Válmíki

The Rámáyan is one of the first and most important Hindu epic poems telling the story of the hero Rama as he is exiled from his home because of his father’s second wife. He then wanders the forests for over a decade and marries his true love Sita who is eventually kidnapped and killed by a demon king. Rama goes to war with this king to avenge the loss of his wife and best friend. The importance of this poem is evident in the long list of tales that followed it after its publication and the story also shows the Eastern Indian ideals of the perfect relationships, faith and philosophy. The poem stands alone in its grandeur and is one of the longest and grandest of epic poems ever to be written.