Balmikir Ram O Ramayan by Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri [Hardcover]

How many queens did King Dasharatha have? Three, or three hundred fifty? Or seven hundred, as Kritibas wrote? How was Ravana? If it is said that he was a great scholar in Vedanta and a leader in Vedic rituals, would it be hard to believe? Just as it is hard to imagine a picture where Lord Rama is handing a wine goblet to Sita or eating roasted deer meat during his exile! There's a saying that the original stands out despite numerous imitations. The same goes for Valmiki's Ramayana. Each state in India has its own regional Ramayana. Alongside Valmiki's, a multitude of other Sanskrit Ramayanas have been created - Maharamayana, Adbhuta Ramayana, Adhyatma Ramayana, and so on. Moreover, the original Ramayana has been altered in various ways by regional scribes. Bringing back the essence of the original Valmiki Ramayana from all those changes is not an easy task. Nrisinhaprasad Bhaduri has taken on this challenging task. His discussion style is remarkably engaging, and his comments and annotations are very witty. This discussion is a must-read for every Bengali.