The ancient Sanskrit epic The Ramayana is no ordinary story—one of the most important literary works of India, it traverses the philosophical and devotional ideas of the ancient Hindu sages and tells the bittersweet allegorical tale of Prince Rama and his bride Sita. Exiled for fourteen years in the company of his brother and his bride, Rama is heartbroken when the demon king Ravana sneaks off with Sita in the dark of night; ultimately gathering an army of monkeys and bears to search for Sita, Rama kills Ravana and witnesses Sita’s purification by fire—which proves her chastity and vindication by the gods—and the couple return triumphantly to Ayodhya, beginning the righteous rule of Ram-raj and inaugurating a golden age for mankind
