The Sacred Ganga Talao - Mauritius

Ramayana, considered part of Hindu Smriti, was written originally in Sanskrit by Sage Valmiki (3000 BC). Contained in 24,000 verses, this epic narrates Lord Ram of Ayodhya and his ayan (journey of life). Over a passage of time, Ramayana did not remain confined to just being a grand epic, it became a powerful symbol of India's social and cultural fabric. For centuries, its characters represented ideal role models - Ram as an ideal man, ideal husband, ideal son and a responsible ruler; Sita as an ideal wife, ideal daughter and Laxman as an ideal brother. Even today, the characters of Ramayana including Ravana (the enemy of the story) are fundamental to the grandeur cultural consciousness of India.

Long after Valmiki wrote Ramayana, Goswami Tulsidas (born 16th century) wrote Ramcharitamanas in his native language. With the passage of time, Tulsi's Ramcharitmanas, also known as Tulsi-krita Ramayana, became better known among Hindus in upper India than perhaps the Bible among the rustic population in England. As with the Bible and Shakespeare, Tulsi Ramayana’s phrases have passed into the common speech. Not only are his sayings proverbial: his doctrine actually forms the most powerful religious influence in present-day Hinduism; and, though he founded no school and was never known as a Guru or master, he is everywhere accepted as an authoritative guide in religion and conduct of life.

Tulsi Ramayana is a novel presentation of the great theme of Valmiki, but is in no sense a translation of the Sanskrit epic. It consists of seven books or chapters namely Bal Kand, Ayodhya Kand, Aranya Kand, Kiskindha Kand, Sundar Kand, Lanka Kand and Uttar Kand containing tales of King Dasaratha's court, the birth and boyhood of Rama and his brethren, his marriage with Sita - daughter of Janaka, his voluntary exile, the result of Kaikeyi's guile and Dasaratha's rash vow, the dwelling together of Rama and Sita in the great central Indian forest, her abduction by Ravana, the expedition to Lanka and the overthrow of the ravisher, and the life at Ayodhya after the return of the reunited pair. All its characters are as lifelike and distinct as any in occidental literature. Ramcharitmanas is written in pure Avadhi or Eastern Hindi, in stanzas called chaupais, broken by 'dohas' or couplets, with an occasional sortha and chhand.

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• Bal Kand (बालकांड)
  Pg: 149; 965 KB (Hindi)

• Ayodhya Kand (अयोध्याकांड)
  Pg: 124; 1.64 MB (Hindi)

• Aranya Kand (अरण्यकांड)
  Pg: 28; 461 KB (Hindi)

• Kiskindha Kand (किष्किन्धाकांड)
  Pg: 16; 308 KB (Hindi)

• Sundar Kand (सुंदरकांड)
  Pg: 31; 287 KB (Hindi)

• Lanka Kand (लंकाकांड)
  Pg: 61; 883 KB (Hindi)

• Uttar Kand (उत्तरकांड)
  Pg: 65; 929 KB (Hindi)