Ramayani by Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri

If one were to express the idea of an ideal king, a prosperous state, and happy subjects in a single word, the natural choice would be "Ramarajya" (the reign of Ram). But what was the rule of Ramachandra really like? Did the hero created by Valmiki truly set the highest example of good governance? Or was it merely a "myth"? The great poet, who sought to shape Ram as the ideal hero in his epic, did Ram truly become the flawless model of an ideal man in the end?

These questions are explored by the scholar and mythologist Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri, who investigates the answers through the verses of the Ramayana.

In the Ramayana, the hero Ram is almost deified, and the bravery of Lakshman, the brotherly love of Bharat, and the devotion of Hanuman are well known. However, much of the story of Ram's younger brother Shatrughna, the suffering of Sita’s sisters, the personality of Mandodari, and the pain of Surpanakha is often overshadowed by the larger-than-life exploits of Ravana. Ravana, who became the terror of the three worlds due to the abduction of Sita and his other deeds—what was he like as a person? What was the life of Ahilya, the stone woman? Was Hanuman merely a devout follower of Ram, or was he also a sagacious political figure?

This book is a collection of analytical essays about such principal and secondary characters from the Ramayana. It also examines the impact and relevance of these characters in Indian society, culture, and politics in the 21st century.