Ravana

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a; /ˈrɑːvənə/;[1])
Ravana (IAST: Rāvaṇ
is described in the Hindu epic
Ramayana as the demon king of
Lanka.[a][2][3] It is widely accepted in
the Hindu cultural sphere that Ravana
existed historically.

Ravana
King of Lanka
 Statue of Ravana from 18th century CE

Other names रावण, රාවණ

Dashagriva or Ruwin
or Dashakantha (Ten-
headed)

Personal information

Spouse Mandodari,
Dhanyamalini

Children Indrajit
Atikaya
Akshayakumara
Narantaka
Devantaka
Trishira
Prahasta
 Prahasta

Parents Vishrava (father)

Kaikesi (mother)

Ravana is described as having been

as a follower of Shiva, a great scholar,
a capable ruler and a maestro of the
Veena, but someone who wished to
overpower the Devas. His ten heads
represent his knowledge of the six
shastras and the four Vedas. In the
Ramayana, Ravana kidnaps Rama's
wife Sita to exact vengeance on
Rama and his brother Lakshmana for
having cut off the nose of his sister
Shurpanakha.
Ravana is also worshiped by Hindus
in some parts of India, Sri Lanka and
Bali (Indonesia)[4][5][6] He is
considered to be the most revered
devotee of Shiva. Images of Ravana
are seen associated with Shiva at
some places. He also appears in
Buddhist Mahayana text Laṅkāvatāra
Sūtra, and Buddhist Ramayanas and
Jatakas, as well as in Jain
Ramayanas.

Etymology
Statue of Ravana at Koneswaram Hindu Temple,
Sri Lanka.

a (Sanskrit: रावण /
The word Rāvaṇ
Sinhalese: රාවණ) means roaring
opposite of Vaiśravaṇ
a meaning "hear
distinctly" (passive).[7][8] Both Ravana
and Vaiśravaṇ
a, who is popularly
known as Kubera, are considered to
be patronymics derived as sons of
Vishrava.[7][8][9][10]

"Rāvana" was a title taken on later by

Dashananda, and it means in
Sanskrit, "screamer." (Ravana would
sing hymns).[11] Further, "roravana" is
Sanskrit for "loud roaring." In Abhinava
Gupta's Krama Shaiva scripture,
"yāsām rāvanam" is used as an
expression to mean people who are
truly aware in terms of the
materialism of their environment.

According to F. E. Pargiter the word

may originally have been a
Sanskritisation of Iraivan, the Tamil
name for a lord or king.[12]

Ravana has many other popular

names such as Dasis Ravana, Dasis
Sakvithi Maha Ravana, Dashaanan,
Ravula, Lankeshwar, Lankeshwaran,
Ravanasura, Ravanaeshwaran, Eela
Vendhar.[13]

Iconography

Ravana is thought to be a maestro of the veena

Ravana is depicted and described as

having ten heads, although
sometimes he is shown with only
nine heads because he has sacrificed
a head to convince Shiva. He is
described as a devout follower of
Shiva, a great scholar, a capable ruler
and a maestro of the Veena
(pronounced veh-nah). Ravana is also
depicted as the author of the Ravana
Samhita, a book on Hindu astrology
and book Arka Prakasham; book on
Siddha medicine and treatment .
Ravana possessed a thorough
knowledge of Siddha and political
science. He is said to have possessed
the nectar of immortality, which was
stored inside his belly, thanks to a
celestial boon by Brahma.[14]

Depiction in the
Ramayana
Birth

Kubera Ravana's Half-Brother, Lord of Wealth and

the North-direction
Brahma-Ravana's great grand father.

Vibhishana (right-brother of Ravana), SriRama

and Sita worship god Shiva at Rameshwaram
looks on with Lakshamana, Tumburu and Narada

Ravana was born to a great sage

Vishrava (or Vesamuni), and his wife,
the daitya princess Kaikeshi. People
of Bisrakh village in Uttar Pradesh
claim that Bisrakh was named after
Vishrava, and Ravana was born there.
But according to Hela historical
sources and folklore, Rawana was
born in Lanka, who later becomes its
king.

Ravana's grandfather on his father's

side, the sage Pulastya,[15] was one of
the ten Prajapatis or mind-born sons
of Brahma and one of the Saptarishi
(Seven Great Sages Rishi) in the first
Manvantara. His grandfather on his
mother's side, Sumali (or Sumalaya),
king of the Raksasas, was the son of
Sukesha. Sukesa's parents were King
Vidyutkesa, who had married
Salakantankata (daughter of
Sandhya), who had abandoned
Sukesha, but by the grace of Shiva he
survived. Sumali had wished her to
marry the most powerful being in the
mortal world, so as to produce an
exceptional heir. He rejected the
kings of the world, as they were less
powerful than him. Kaikesi searched
among the sages and finally chose
Vishrava, the father of Kubera.
Ravana and his siblings were born to
the couple. They completed their
education from their father, with
Ravana being a great scholar of the
Vedas. The brothers performed
penances on Mt Gokarna for 11,000
years and won boons from Brahma.
Ravana was blessed with a boon that
would make him invincible to the
creation of Brahma, except for
humans. He also received weapons,
chariot as well as the ability to
shapeshift from Brahma. Ravana
later usurped Lanka from his half-
brother Kubera and became the King
of Lanka. He appointed Shukracharya
as his priest and learnt Arthashastra
from him. Rama once addressed
Ravana as a "Maha Brahman" ("Great
Brahman" in the context of his
education).
After worshiping Shiva on the banks
of the Narmada, in the more central
Yadu region, Ravana was captured
and held under the control of king
Kartavirya Arjuna, one of the greatest
Yadu kings. It is clear from the
references in the Ramayana that
Ravana was no commoner among the
Humans or Asuras, a great chanter of
the Sama Veda.

Family
Queen Mandodari and the women of Lanka
mourning the death of Ravana. Bas-relief of 9th
century Prambanan temple, Java, Indonesia

Ravana's family are hardly mentioned

outside the Ramayana, which is
viewed by some as being only the
point of view of Rama devotees.
According to that:

Ravana's grandfather was

Malyavan, who was against the war
with Rama and laksman.
Ravana's parents were Vishrava
(son of Pulastya) and Kaikesi
(daughter of Sumali and Thataka).
 Kaikesi had two brothers Maricha
and Subahu which would
effectively make them Ravana's
uncles.
Ravana had six brothers and two
sisters:
1. Kubera – the King of North
direction and the Guardian of
Heavenly Wealth. He was an older
half-brother of Ravana: they were
born to the same father by different
mothers.
2. Vibhishana – A follower of Rama
and one of the most important
characters in the Ramayana. As a
minister and brother of Ravana, he
spoke the truth without fear and
advised Ravana to return the
kidnapped Sita and uphold Dharma.
Ravana not only rejected this sane
advice, but also banished him from
his kingdom. Vibhishana sought
protection from Rama, which was
granted without hesitation.
3. Kumbhakarna – One of the most
jovial demons in Hindu history. When
offered a boon by Brahma, he was
tricked into asking for eternal sleep. A
horrified Ravana, out of brotherly love,
persuaded Brahma to amend the
boon. Brahma mitigated the power of
the boon by making Kumbhakarna
sleep for six months and being awake
for rest six months of a year (in some
versions, he is awake for one day out
of the year). During the war with
Rama, Kumbhakarna was untimely
awakened from his sleep. He tried to
persuade Ravana to open
negotiations with Rama and return
Sita to him. But he too failed to mend
the ways of Ravana. However, bound
by a brother's duty, he fought on the
side of Ravana and was killed in the
battlefield. Before dying he met
Vibhishana and blessed him for
following path of righteousness.
4. Khara – King of Janasthan.[16] He
protected the northern kingdom of
Lanka in the mainland and his
kingdom bordered with the Kosala
Kingdom, the kingdom of Rama. He
was well known for his superior skills
in warfare.he was killed by Rama.
5. Dushana – Viceroy of Janasthan.
6. Ahiravan – King of the Underworld
ruled by the rakshasas by Ravana and
the demon king Maya.
7. Kumbhini – Older sister of Ravana
and the wife of the demon Madhu,
King of Mathura, she was the mother
of Lavanasura. She was renowned for
her beauty and later retired to the sea
for penance.
8. Surpanakha – The sister of
Ravana. She was the ultimate root of
the kidnapping of Sita. She was the
one who instigated her brothers to
wage a war against Rama.
Ravana was married to Mandodari,
the daughter of the celestial
architect Maya, Dhanyamalini, and
a third wife. He had seven sons
from his three wives:
1. Meghnaad (also known as Indrajit
because he defeated Indra), the most
powerful son
2. Atikaya
3. Akshayakumara
4. Devantaka
5. Narantaka
6. Trishira
7. Prahastha
In the Bengali ballad, Meghnad
Bodh Kavya by Michael
Madhusudan Dutt, Beerbahu is said
to be Ravana's son.

Scholarly pursuits

Ravana was noted as a scholar and

had knowledge of the Vedas. Even
the Shaiva Nayanar saints wrote of
him as such. Saint Jnana
Sambandhar referred to him as,
"versed in the Vedas and learning" and
in the Tirumarais "Sama vedamore
Githa mothia Dasamukan."

Ravana also was a musician and was

specialized in both singing and the
veena instrument. Saint Appar writes
of Ravana in the Tirumarais that the
king loved singing the Vedas, "Veda
Githangal pada," "Kannalin githam
pada," "patthu voi gitam pada,"
"thuttanai thuttu-thirthu-chuvai-pada-
Githam ketta," and "Githakinnaram
pada."
Tapasya to Brahma

Following his initial training, Ravana

performed an intense penance (or
tapasya) to Brahma, lasting several
years. During his penance, Ravana
chopped off his head ten times as a
sacrifice to appease him. Each time
he sliced his head off a new head
arose, thus enabling him to continue
his penance. At last, Brahma, pleased
with his austerity, appeared after his
tenth decapitation and offered him a
boon. Ravana asked for immortality,
which Brahma refused to give; in
place of this, he asked for absolute
invulnerability from and supremacy
over gods, heavenly spirits, other
rakshasas, serpents, and wild beasts.
Contemptuous of mortal men, he did
not ask for protection from these.
Brahma granted him these boons in
addition to his ten severed heads and
great strength by way of knowledge
of divine weapons and magic. Thus
Ravana is also known as Dasamukha
or Dashaanan (Dasa being ten,
mukha/anan being face). Later, after
learning from Ravana's mother (who
can see fortune) Ravana's wife
Mandodri brings him the nectar of
immortality by suffering great
hardships.

Devotee of Shiva

Ravananugraha theme.

Following his conquest of Lanka,

Ravana encountered Shiva at his
abode in Kailash. Ravana at first went
to meet Shiva. Nandi the vehicle of
Shiva, refused to let Ravana in. He got
annoyed and started teasing Nandi.
Nandi in turn got annoyed and cursed
Ravana that Lanka would be
destroyed by a monkey. To show
Nandi his love for Shiva, Ravana
attempted to uproot and move the
mountain on a whim. Shiva, annoyed
by Ravana's arrogance, pressed his
littlest toe on Kailash, pinning him
firmly and painfully under it. His
ganas informed Ravana of whom he
had crossed, upon which Ravana
became penitent. He plucked out his
intestines and used them as strings
to compose music and sang songs
praising Shiva, and is said to have
done so for years until Shiva released
him from his bondage.

Pleased with his resilience and

devotion, Shiva gave to him the divine
sword Chandrahas (Chandra-Moon,
Has-laugh, literally 'the laughter of the
moon' but referring to the shape
formed by a crescent moon which
resembles a smile). It was during this
incident that he acquired the name
'Ravana', meaning "(He) Of the
terrifying roar", given to him by Shiva
– the earth is said to have quaked at
Ravana's cry of pain when the
mountain was pinned on him. Ravana
in turn became a lifelong devotee of
Shiva and is said to have composed
the hymn known as Shiva Tandava
Stotra.

Shiva had given his sword

Chandrahasa with a warning that if it
was used for unjust causes, it would
return to the three-eyed one and
Ravana's days would be
numbered.[17] After Ravana had been
given the Celestial Nectar of
Immortality by Brahma, he went on to
please Shiva. He cut his head & put it
as sacrifice for pleasing Shiva, but
Shiva replaced his head with a new
one. This was repeated Nine times, on
which Shiva was happy and pleased
with Ravana's resilience and
devotion.

The devotion to Shiva by Ravana was

written about by the Nayanar saints
also. "Tham-aratthal pora-thankai kol
val padai, Kamarathal Sivan Karatthu
Vanginan." It is said that before he
aimed him missile, he worshiped Isa
(Shiva) in his usual manner and
performed puja, "Pusanai-tholil -
purinthu-than-Muraimayir-potrum-
Isanai-tholuthu." By his austerities and
penances for years he obtained
boons from Shiva, as longevity, and a
broad bright sword, which gave him
victory over battles; "mukkodi vannal,"
"valodu nal avarkku arul seitha." It is
believed by some that he made a six-
stringed yal instrument, and it was his
forte. With it made of his own nerves,
he pleased Shiva and won His mercy
and grace; "Tham-aratthal pora-thankai
kol val padai, Kamarathal Sivan Karatthu
Vanginan."

Priestly ministers

Ravana is said in some version to

have had Shukra Acharya, the priest
of the Asuras, as his minister, and in
some versions Brihaspati, the priest
of the Devas.

One of the most original, which is not

found in earlier manuscripts, tells
how Ravana orders his court priest
Brhaspati (all the gods are his slaves)
to read the Chandi stava (mantras of
Chandi), that is, the Devi Mahatmya, in
order to stave off defeat; if he can
recite it. According to the Krttivasa
text, Ravana arranged for a peaceful
yajna (sacrifice) and to start the
recitation of Chandi, Brhaspati was
invited. Accordingly, Brhaspati recited
the same correctly.[18]

King of Lanka

After winning these boons, Ravana

sought out his grandfather, Sumali,
and assumed leadership over his
army. He then set his sights on
capturing the island city of Lanka.

Lanka was an idyllic city, created by

the celestial architect Vishwakarma
for Shiva and acquired by Kubera, the
treasurer of the gods upon advice of
his father Visravas. Visrava had
asked for Lanka made from gold from
Shiva as dakshina for the house
warming ceremony he had conducted
for Lanka. Kubera had generously
shared all that he owned with Ravana
and the latter's siblings, who were
Kubera's half-brothers and half-sister
from his stepmother Kaikesi.
However, Ravana demanded Lanka
wholly from him, threatening to take it
by force. Vishrava, their father,
advised Kubera to give it up to him, as
Ravana was now undefeatable.

Although Ravana usurped Lanka, he

was nevertheless regarded as a
benevolent and effective ruler. Lanka
flourished under his rule, to the extent
that it is said the poorest of houses
had vessels of gold to eat and drink
off, and hunger was unknown in the
kingdom.

Emperor of the Three

Worlds
Ravana in Sanskrit drama of Kerala, India-
Kutiyattam. Artist: Guru Nātyāchārya Māni
Mādhava Chākyār[19]

His abilities now truly awe-inspiring,

Ravana proceeded on a series of
campaigns, conquering humans,
celestials and other demons.
Conquering the netherworld
completely, he left his brother
Ahiravana as king. He became
supreme overlord of all Asuras in the
three worlds, making an alliance with
the Nivatakavachas and Kalakeyas,
two clans he was unable to subdue.
Conquering several kingdoms of the
human world, he performed the
suitable sacrifices and was crowned
Emperor. Ravana defeated Indra and
the gods, Surya, Varuna and Yama.

Kubera at one point chastised Ravana

for his cruelty and greed, greatly
angering him. Proceeding to the
heavens, Ravana fought and defeated
the Devas, singling out his brother for
particular humiliation. By force he
gained command over the Devas,
celestials, and the serpent races. At
the time of the Ramayana, set several
years later, Ravana is shown as
dominating all human and divine
races – so much so that he can
command the sun's rising and
setting.

Depiction in other
Scriptures
As Vishnu's cursed
doorkeeper

In the Bhagavata Purana, Ravana and

his brother, Kumbhakarna, were said
to be reincarnations of Jaya and
Vijaya, gatekeepers at Vaikuntha, the
abode of Vishnu and were cursed to
be born in Earth for their insolence.
These gatekeepers refused entry to
the Sanatha Kumara monks, who,
because of their powers and austerity
appeared as young children. For their
insolence, the monks cursed them to
be expelled from Vaikuntha and to be
born on Earth.

Vishnu agreed that they should be

punished. They were given two
choices, that they could be born
seven times as normal mortals and
devotees of Vishnu, or three times as
powerful and strong people, but as
enemies of Vishnu. Eager to be back
with the Lord, they choose the latter
one. Ravana and his brother
Kumbhakarna were born to fulfill the
curse on the second birth as enemies
of Vishnu in the Treta Yuga. The
curse of first birth was fulfilled by
Hiranyakashipu and his brother
Hiranyaksha in Satya Yuga when they
were both vanquished by earlier
avatars of Vishnu (Hiranyaksha by
Varaha and Hiranyakashipu by
Narasimha) and the curse of third
birth was fulfilled by Dantavakra and
Shishupala in the Dwapar Yuga when
they both were slain by Krishna, the
eighth avatar.
Conflict with other kings
and Asuras

Ravana had gotten into a conflict with

some other major Asuras.

1. In Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh is

where he is said to have fought, but
lost, to Kartavirya Arjuna, and he was
tied up, later Kartavirya got name
Dashgrivjayi (the conqueror of
Ravana just like Indrajit got his name
by defeating Indra) and release him
on the request of his grandfather
sage Pulastya. Ravana vanquished
2. Marutta (Chakravarti King of
Ushiraviga),
3. Gadhi (Vishwamitra's father),
4. Dushyanta (Bharata's father),
5. Suratha (King of Vidarbha),
6. Gaya (Chakravarti king of
Dharmaranya), and
7. Paurava (King of Anga).
8. Ravana killed Anaranya, the king of
Ayodhya although the latter cursed
Ravana to be slain by Rama.
9. Ravana was vanquished by the
Ikshvaku King Mandhata, an ancestor
of Rama.
10. Ravana had wrestled his brother
Kubera for the Puspaka car.
11. In the Ramayana, he fought Vali
the Kishkindha king, but was defeated
by him.
12. He also fought with the
Nivatakavachas, the descendants of
Prahlada, but being unable to defeat
them, struck an alliance with them.
13. Another time he was vanquished
by the sage Kapila.
14. One time, upon hearing a
discourse from Sage Sanatkumara,
Ravana attempted to invade
Vaikuntha. Only Ravana managed to
enter Vaikuntha's capital
Shwetadwipa where he was
hopelessly outmatched by the
inhabitants over there and was forced
to retreat.

Ravana as a Scholar

Many legends celebrate Ravana as an

accomplished king and erudite
scholar. As a child, he studied the
Vedas and the Vedangas from his
father, Sage Vishrava. He studied
statecraft under none other than
Bhrigu's son Shukracharya himself.
Ravana was a skilled Veena player
having built the Rudra Veena from his
head, arms and nerves. He was also
learned in the intricacies of the
Sanskrit language and
extemporaneously composed the
Shiva Tandava Stotram despite being
under excruciating pain under the
Kailash Mountain. Ravana was
learned in Astrology and Ayurveda as
well.

Historicity
According to the Uttra Kanda section
of Ramayana, the Rakshasa were the
demons or evil people[20] in Sri Lanka.
They were led by Malyavantha,
Sumali and Sukesha of the Rakshasa,
who were ousted by the Deva with the
help of Vishnu, and then
subsequently ruled by King
Ravana.[21]

There have been several Buddhist

Ramayanas written, and in the
Dasaratha Jataka, the Buddha is said
to have been Rama in a previous
life.[22] Furthermore, even today
Vibhishana (the brother of Ravana) is
one of the compatriots of the Sri
Lankans held in high esteems as a
national hero. In the Ramayana,
Vibhishana had defected from
Ravana's administration to help Rama
overthrow the tyrant demon Ravana.
Ever since then, Vibhishana has been
venerated as one of the four
guardians (another being Vishnu) of
Sri Lanka.[23]

Buddhist scriptures mention

rakshasas, a general term for evil
people, including ones in Sri Lanka. In
one story, because the island has a
huge problem with cannibal
rakshasas, the hero Simhala escaped
to later return and rid Sri Lanka of the
plague of cannibalism.[24] Further, the
Buddhist scripture Janavamsa of 15th
century Sri Lanka mentions
cannibalism on the island.[25]

Modern descendants of
Ravana

Thotsakan (Ravana)'s sculpture as a guardian of

Wat Phra Kaew, Thailand

There are some Shaiva temples

where Ravana is worshiped.[26][27][28]
Ravana is considered most revered
devotee of Shiva. The images of
Ravana are seen associated with
Shiva at some places.

Just as there are Brahmins whose

origins are associated with Rama,
such as the Saryuparins that came
into being when Rama reached
Ayodhya after slaying Ravana, and
the Sanadhs, who recall their
acceptance of dakshina from
Ramchandra on the victory over
Ravana, there are also Brahmins that
are associated in origin from Ravana,
and these include the Daves (of
Mudgal gotra) of Rajasthan, as well
as Gujarat's Sachoras, the
Kanyakubjas of Vidisha in Madhya
Pradesh, and the Brahmins of the
Kaumara sub-gotra of the Vasistha
gotra. Ravana himself is described in
some Ramayanas to have been as
Brahmin because he was the son of
Rishi Vishrava and grandson of
Pulastya. The Indonesian Ramabatara
also described Ravana as having
been a Brahmin.[29] Ravana described
himself to Sita as being of brahmin
lineage.

The Dave Brahmins of Mudgal gotra

and the Shrimali Brahmins, in
Jodhpur/Mandor of Rajasthan state
who were originally from Gujarat,
India claim to be the descendants of
Ravana. The say that since time
immemorial they are performing the
shraddha (death anniversary) of
Ravana on Dashehra Day every year.
They offer pind daan and take a bath
after that ritual. They recently erected
a Ravan temple in Jodhpur, India
where daily puja is performed.

The Kanyakubja Brahmins of Vidisha

district worship Ravana as he is
personified as a symbol of prosperity
and regarded as a saviour by them,
and they claim that Ravana was also
a Kanyakubja Brahmin. Thousands of
Kanyakubja Brahmins of the village
Ravangram of Netaran, in the Vidisha
District of Madhya Pradesh, perform
daily puja (worship) in the Ravan
temple and offer naivedyam / bhog (a
ritual of sacrifice to the Gods).
Centuries ago King Shiv Shankar built
a Ravana temple at Kanpur, Uttar
Pradesh. The Ravana temple is
opened once in a year, on Dashehra
Day, to perform puja for the welfare of
Ravana.[30]
The Sachora Brahmins of Gujarat
also claim to descend from Ravana,
and have "Ravan" as their surnames
sometimes.[31]

A Brahmin gotra descending from

Rishi Kaumarayana, which is a sub-
section of the Vasistha gotra is
identified in lineage from Ravana
("kaumarah ravanah koksah
krsnah.")[32]

Saraswat Brahmins from Mathura

also claim to descend from Ravana.
One lawyer from Mathura, Omveer
Saraswat, had written to politicians to
ban Ravan Dahan.[33][34]
There is also reference to "Ravani",
lineage of Upadhyaya Yasastrata II,
who was of the Gautama gotra and
was a son of Acharya Vasudatta, and
described as "born of Ravani" [35]

In the Valmiki Ramayana,[36] Ravana

mentions himself to be of the
Kashyapa gotra, and the Lankavatara
Sutra says Ravana is a worshiper of
Kashyapa Buddha (a Brahmin.)

The Gondi people of central India

claim to be descendants of Ravana,
and they also have temples set up for
him, his wife Mandodari, and their son
Meghnad. They also state that
Ravana was ancient Gond king, and
the tenth dharmaguru of their tribe.
Every year on Dussehra, the Gondis of
the village of Paraswadi carry an
image of Ravana riding on an
elephant in a procession.[37][38]

Temples built by Ravana

In Himachal Pradesh

Baijnath Temple was a Shaiva temple

in Himachal Pradesh state, also
known as Ravankhola (Place of
Ravana).

Many people believe that Baijnath is

not where Ravana descended to the
earth, and that either the Baidyanath
Temple in Jharkhand state or
Vajinath in Maharashtra state is the
actual site.

In Chandigarh

During Dussehra before the effigy of

Ravana is set ablaze, participants
offer prayers to the king, because "His
father was a Brahman and people
worship him for his intelligence and
knowledge."

In Gujarat

Somanath - The second version of the

Shaiva temple in Gujarat state is said
by tradition to have been renovated
by Ravana.[39]

In Maharashtra

Two Hemadpanti temples were built

by Ravana's demons in Kuntalapur
within Maharashtra state.
In Karnataka

Mahabaleshwar is a Shaiva temple in

Gokarna, Karnataka is also said by
tradition to have been built by
Ravana.[40]

Murudeshwara is a Shaiva temple in

Karnataka state is said by tradition to
have been built by Ravana. It lies in
the holy beach town in the Bhatkal
Taluk of Uttara Kannada district of
Karnataka state.[40]

Dharashwara is a Shaiva temple in

Karnataka is said by tradition to have
been built by Ravana.[40]

Gunavanteshwar is a Shaiva temple

in Karnataka is said by tradition to
have been built by Ravana.[40]

Shejjeshwar is a Shaiva temple in

Karnataka is said by tradition to have
been built by Ravana.[40]

In Andhra Pradesh

Kakinada is a Shaiva temple in

Andhra Pradesh containing a huge
Shivalinga, supposedly installed by
Ravana himself, with a statue of
Ravana near by. Both Shivalinga and
Ravana are worshiped by the
fishermen community there.

In Sri Lanka

Seetha Amman Temple

Located in Seetha Eliya a small

beautiful village, 5 km away from
Nuwara Eliya, the temple is small yet
beautiful and rich in Hindu
architectural details and painting and
statues of Lord Rama, Sitha Devi,
Luxshmana, and Hanuman.[41]

Manavari Temple
Situated 6 km north of Chillaw,
Manavari is a temple where Lord
Rama installed his first lingam as
Lord Shiva advised. This was done as
a remedy for committing Brahmincide
by killing King Ravana. Lord Rama
was advised to build 5 lingams in Sri
Lanka by Lord Shiva.[42]

Other temples and relevant

places

In Uttar Pradesh

At the Vrihadeshwar Mahadev

Temple by the Yamuna River,
Saraswat Brahmins, of the region
claiming to descend from Ravan,
worship the king.

In Madhya Pradesh

Ravana is said to have married

Princess Mandodari at a place
Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh, India.
This is so because in Mandsaur,
Ravana is worshiped.

At the altar can also be found the

images of Saptamatri (Seven
Mothers) flanked by Ganesha and
Veerabhadra. The Saptamatri images
are said to precede the time of the
Pratihara Dynasty (founded in the 6th
century AD) and are in fact
reminiscent of the images of seven
female deities of Harappa – the
oldest civilisation in India. In the
nearby stepwell, a stone bears a
script that resembles the Harappan
script.

In Sri Lanka

Dolukanda Sanjeewanee Mountain

Where Lord Hanuman accidentally

dropped a piece of Himalaya…
The beautiful rural village located
near Hiripitiya is believed to be one
place among the five places where
parts of the piece of Himalaya lord
Hanuman brought fell on.

Once lord Hanuman was asked to

fetch herbs to heal Lord Rama and
Lakshmana who were seriously
wounded during the war with King
Ravana, he had brought the whole
area as he couldn’t identify the herb
himself.

Other 4 places where the parts

believed to fell on are Rumassala in
Galle, Ritigala in Habarana
Anuradhapura road, Thalladi in
Mannar and Kachchativu in the
north.[43]

Munneswaram temple

Where Lord Rama Prayed to Lord

Shiva…

Located in Chillaw, the Hindu Kovil is

one of the oldest Hindu temples in Sri
Lanka that bear close connections to
Ramayana. The temple believed to be
the place where King Rama prayed to
Shiva asking for remedies after
committing ‘Brahmahasti’ the biggest
crime according to the Hindu Darma.
Killing a priest known to be the
‘Brahmahasti’, which he did by Killing
King Ravana who was a priest of
Brahmin caste.[43]

Kotmale When King Ravana was

taking Sitha Devi to Sitha Eliya on his
chariot, Sitha Devi dropped the
vitaminized rice balls along the
journey King Ravana gave her as a
refreshment. So, Lord Rama can find
where she was taken. Kothmale is a
place where you can still see these
rice balls (Sitha Goli) that the locals
now use as a cure for stomach
disorders and headaches and as a
charm that brings prosperity.[43]

Sitha Kotuwa According to the

legend, this is the place where Sitha
Devi held captive. The place was King
Ravana’s queen, Mandothari’s palace
and was surrounded by waterfall and
beautiful streams. Later the palace
was called ‘Sitha Kotuwa’ or ‘Sitha
fort’ as Sitha Devi stayed here.[43]

Koneswaram temple, then-Dakshina

Kailasam is a classical-medieval
Hindu temple complex in
Trincomalee, a Hindu religious
pilgrimage centre in Eastern Province,
Sri Lanka. This temples is associated
with Ravana and his mother. They
had worshiped Shiva at the shrine.[43]

Kanniya Hot water spring in Sri Lanka

has the history from the King Ravana
era. It says that King Ravana stuck
the earth with his sword in several
spots for his mother's funeral event
and several fountains were started on
those places. The water was hot and
it is now a tourist attraction in Sri
Lanka.[43]

Ravana-Dahan (burning
effigy of Ravana)
An Effigy of Ravana with burning sparklers on
Dusshera. Dashehra Diwali Mela in Manchester,
England, 2006.

Effigies of Ra are burned on

Vijayadashami, in India at many
places. It is said that it is
symbolisation of triumph over evil
(i.e. Ravana) by Rama.

Ravanahatha
The ancient instrument known as a
Ravanahatha is said to have belonged
to a sovereign in present-day India
around 5000 BC. It replicates the
ancient instrument called Ravan
Hatta which is found even today in
Rajasthan. Mythology credits this
creation to Ravana.

The Ravanahatha was played on one

string which was 22 inches long
encompassing the 3 Octaves.
Whereas the Violin encompasses the
3 octaves on 4 strings with a finger
board which is 5 1/4 inches long.This
5 1/4 when multiplied by 4 is 21
inches which was the size of the
Ravan Hatta. Both are played with a
bow.[44]

Influence on Indian
culture and art

Ravana with Hanuman in Tholu Bommalata, the

shadow puppet tradition of Andhra Pradesh, India

A Ramleela actor wears the

traditional attire of Ravana. One of the
most important literary works of
ancient India, the Ramayana has had
a profound impact on art and culture
in the Indian subcontinent and
Southeast Asia.

Texts attributed to Ravana

Astronomy

There is also texts attributed to

Ravana. The Ravan Samhita is an
astrological text or scripture narrated
by Shiva and written by Ravana.

Medicine

The Ravanakumara Tantra is a part of

the tantric rituals of the
Kriyakalagunottara Tantra,[45] and it is
an 11th-century Sanskrit work for the
treatment of children's diseases.[46] It
is also known as the
Ravanaproktabalacikitsasutra ("Sutra
Spoken by Ravana on the Curing of
Children's Diseases.")

Ravana appears as the composer of

the 16th century C.E. text, Arka
Prakasa, which is a dialogue between
the king of Lanka and his wife
Mandodhari about which herbs and
chemicals can be used in a mixture to
cure illnesses, such as syphilis

Ravana is also the composer of the

16th century C.E. scriptures Nadi
Pariksa and Nadi Vijnana on
knowledge about the veins.

Linguistics

Ravana is the composer of the

Ravanabhet, a Vedic text on phonetics
of the Sanskrit language.

Ravana is also the composer of the

Ravaniya, also known as Ravanabaith,
text on phonetics of the Telugu
language.

"Ravana Lankesvara" is to whom the

Prakrta-Kamadhenu grammatical text
on the Prakrit language is attributed.

Spirituality

There is also the Samkhya scripture

known as the Ravana-bhasya, which is
also known as Ravanabhasya, is
believed to be written by Ravana.

The writer of the Vaisesika scripture

Katandi (commentary on the Vaisesika
Sutra) is attributed to have been
written by Ravana.

Ravana is also the name used by a

commentator of the Shaiva
Rudrapurascharana.
"Ravanacharya" is the scholar who
wrote the Padaratna, a commentary
on the Rig Veda.

Ravana is the composer of the

Shavite scripture, Shiva Tandava
Stotram.

Alternate Ramayanas
Buddhist versions

Rama is always the protagonist. In

Rin-spuns-pa Tibetan Ramayana, it is
prophesied that "Ramana" will return
as the Buddha incarnation of Vishnu
in the Kali Yuga.
The Khamti Ramayana as well
describes Rama as a Bodhisattva
incarnated to punish demon Ravana.

In the Laotian Buddhist text, Phra Lak

Phra Lam, Rama is a Bodhisattva and
the embodiment of virtues, while
Ravana is a Brahmin ("mahabrahma")
son of Virulaha but is highly
materialistic.

In the Cambodian Buddhist text, Preah

Ream, Buddha is an incarnation of
Rama and Ravana is a rakshasa.

In the Thai Buddhist text, Ramakien,

Ravana is a rakshasa.[47] There, he is
instead known as "Thotsakan" (ทศ
กั
ณฐ
, from Sanskrit दशक ठ,
Daśakaṇ
ṭ
ha, "ten necks"), and he is
depicted with green skin.

In the Lankavatara Sutra, Gautama

Buddha pays a visit to Ravana in the
demon's layer in Lanka, and in the
scripture he is addressed as a
"Rakshasas." He is normally identified
as a demon.

In the Karandavyuha Sutra, god Yama

asks if the visitor in hell
(Avalokitesvara) that he hasn't seen
yet is a god or a demon, and asks
whether he is Vishnu, Mahesvara, or
the "rakshasa" ("demon") Ravana.

Jain version

Jain accounts vary from the

traditional Hindu accounts of
Ramayana. The incidents are placed
at the time of the 20th Tirthankara,
Munisuvrata. According to Jain
version, both Rama as well as Ravana
were devout Jains.[48] Ravana was a
Vidyadhara King having magical
powers.[49] Also, as per the Jain
accounts, Ravana was killed by
Lakshmana and not Rama in the
end.[50]
Related TV Series
Raavan (TV series)
Ramayan (1986 TV series)
Ravana

See also
Asura
Daitya
Danava (Hinduism)
Raksasa

References
Notes

a. Identified by many with modern-day

Sri Lanka

Citations

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ḍ
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47. Vyas, Lallan Prasad. Prachi
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Bibliography

Doniger, Wendy (1993), Purana Perennis:

Reciprocity and Transformation in Hindu
and Jaina Texts , SUNY Press,
ISBN 9780791413814
Udayakumar, S.P. (2005). "Presenting
the Past: Anxious History and Ancient
Future in Hindutva India". Greenwood
Publishing Group

External links
Wikimedia Commons has media
related to Ravana.

Rawana the Historical King of

Heladiwa|Ramayana Research
Preceded by Emperor Succeeded by
Kubera of Lanka Vibhisana

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