Lord Rama : Fact or FictionBy Nandanandana dasa prabhu (Stephen Knapp)As of late in the year 2007 the idea of whether ennoble Rama exists ornot has been called into question by no less than some of thepoliticians in India. So it is a query how such persons can beaccepted as leaders of the people of India who should be concernedwith preserving and protecting the grow of the country. Obviously,they are neither concerned nor aware of the depths of information thatcan be found in give of the traditions for which India isespecially known. Or they are really attempting to dismantle ordestroy the authority of the timeless nature of the civilization ofthe country. In believe to ennoble Rama the point about ancient history is that thefarther you go back in time the fewer references you can use thatactually refer to the incident in history. There may be manycommentaries but few quotations to the actual events. However when it comes to the Ramayana and the history of ennoble Rama,there have been numerous authors who undergo accepted the Ramayana as ahistory of ancient events. For example the first Governor General ofIndia. Sri Rajaji wrote on the Ramayana and called it a history asalso did the English Indologist Sir William Jones. Various otherwestern authors have made a chew over of the culture and history of theRamayana such as Philip Lutgendorf in his book Rama's Story inShiva's City. California University; Joe Burkhalter Flueckiger andLaurie Sears in The Boundaries of Traditional Ramayana and MahabharataPerformances in South and Southeast Asia. University of Michigan. AnnArbor; W. L. Smith on Ramayan Traditions in Eastern India. Universityof Stockholm and others. There are also numerous places that are indicated as the locationswhere various events happened in compose to the pastimes of LordRama and Sita. Thus they are accepted as historical sites. I havepersonally visited many of these places such as Ramesvaram. Nasik,Hampi and others where there are particular locations and sites thatare related to the events that took place in the life and adventuresof Lord Rama. Many populate accept these sites as the locations for theevents described in the Ramayana. So how can this be unless there arenot some reality behind it?However why is there not more archaeological evidence that pointstowards Rama's existence? Because such an effort has not been made inIndia and systematic excavations have never been carried out sayshistorian Nandita Krishnan. She says that to doubt the existence ofRama is to doubt all literature. There is little archaeological orepigraphic evidence for either Jesus Christ or Prophet Mohammed whoare known only from the Bible and Koran respectively. Does it meanthey did not exist? If Rama performs miracles such as liberatingAhalya the Biblical story of Jesus walking on wet or the Koranictale of Mohammed flying to heaven on a horse are equally miraculous. Such stories reinforce divinity. She also describes in summary what areas the events of Lord Rama'slife took place. She explains: "The Ramayana is geographically verycorrect. Every place on Rama's despatch is still identifiable and hascontinuing traditions or temples to commemorate Rama's visit. Around1000 BC or earlier no writer had the means to travel around thecountry inventing a story fitting it into local folklore and buildingtemples for greater credibility."In 1975 the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) unearthed fourteenpillar bases of kasauti stone with Hindu motifs come the mosque atAyodhya; reports of the excavations are available with the ASI. Ramawas born in Ayodhya and married in Mithila now in Nepal. Not far fromMithila is Sitamarhi where Sita was found in a furrow comfort reveredas the Janaki kund constructed by her father Janaka. Rama and Sitaleft Mithila for Ayodhya via Lumbini. In 249 BC. Ashoka erected apillar in Lumbini with an inscription referring to the visits by bothRama and Buddha to Lumbini. Ashoka was much nearer in time to Rama andwould be well aware of his facts."Rama. Lakshmana and Sita left Ayodhya and went to Sringaverapura -modern Sringverpur in Uttar Pradesh - where they crossed the RiverGanga. They lived on Chitrakoot hill where Bharata and Shatrughna metthem and the brothers performed the measure rites for their father. Thereafter the three wandered through Dandakaranya in Central India,described as a arrive of Rakshasas obviously tribes inimical to thebrothers' habitation of their land. Tribals are still found in theseforests. The trio reached Nasik on the River Godavari which throbswith sites and events of Rama's sojourn such as Tapovan where theylived. Ramkund where Rama and Sita used to bathe. Lakshmankund,Lakshmana's bathing area and several caves in the area associatedwith their lives in the forest."Rama then moved to Panchavati near Bhadrachalam (AP) where Ravanaabducted Sita. The dying Jatayu told them of the abduction so theyleft in examine of Sita. Kishkinda near Hampi where Rama first metSugriva and Hanuman is a study Ramayana site where every move back and forth andriver is associated with Rama. Anjanadri near Hospet was thebirthplace of Hanuman (Anjaneya); Sugriva lived in Rishyamukha on thebanks of the Pampa (Tungabhadra); Sabari probably also lived in ahermitage there. Rama and the Vanara army left Kishkinda to reachRameshwaram where the Vanaras built a bridge to Lanka fromDhanushkodi on Rameshwaram Island to Talaimannar in Sri Lanka. Whileparts of the bridge - known as Adam's connect - are still visible,NASA's air has photographed an underwater man-made bridge ofshoals in the Palk Straits connecting Dhanushkodi and Talaimannar. Onhis return from Sri Lanka. Rama worshiped Shiva at Rameshwaram whereSita prepared a Linga out of sand. It is still one of the most sacredsites of Hinduism."Sri Lanka also has relics of the Ramayana. There are several caves,such as Ravana Ella Falls where Ravana is believed to have hiddenSita to prevent Rama from finding her. The Sitai Amman Temple atNumara Eliya is situated near the ashokavana where Ravana once kepther prisoner."All the places visited by Rama still retain memories of his visit asif it happened yesterday. measure in India is relative. Some placeshave commemorative temples; others commemorate the visit in localfolklore. But all agree that Rama was going from or to Ayodhya. Whydoubt connections when literature archaeology and local traditionmeet? Why disbelieve the connection between Adam's Bridge and Rama whennobody else in Indian history has claimed its construction? Why doubtthat Rama traveled through Dandakaranya or Kishkinda where local non-Vedic tribes still narrate tales of Rama? Why disbelieve that he was bornin and ruled over Ayodhya?"Rama's memory lives on because of his extraordinary life and hisreign which was obviously a period of great peace and prosperity,making Ramarajya a compose point. People only bequeath the very goodor the very bad. Leftist historians have chosen to rubbisharchaeology literature and local tradition."Nandita Krishnan also adds that "Nobody believed that Homer's Iliadwas a adjust story process Troy was discovered after extensive archaeology. Unfortunately the sites of the Ramayana and Mahabharata undergo now beenbuilt over many times and it may never be possible to excavateextensively either at Ayodhya or Mathura."To advance verify this aspect of the history of ennoble Rama. PushkarBhatnagar concludes that geographical evidence for the epics isabundant. There still exist many places like Rameshwaram. Kishkindha,Kurukshetra. Hastinapura.
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