The noble prince Rama (an incarnation of Lord Vishnu) is exiled from Ayodhya on his stepmother's whim, and his loyal brother Lakshmana and beautiful wife, Sita, follow him into the forest despite the many dangers it holds. But when Sita is kidnapped by Ravana, king of the rakshasas, Rama must go deep into himself to find the physical and emotional resources he needs to rescue her. An idealized heroic tale about the struggle between good and evil, the Ramayana is also an intensely personal story of family relationships, love and loss, duty and honour, of harem intrigue, petty jealousies and destructive ambitions-all this played out in a universe populated by larger-than-life humans, gods and celestial beings, wondrous animals and terrifying demons.
