Ramayana at British Library

Discover the amazing story of the Ramayana at British Library. Full of lavish illustrations of this classic Indian tale, the exhibition of Ramayana at British Library will enchant anyone with a love of romance and fairytales.

Telling the story of Prince Rama and his beloved wife Sita, the Ramayana exhibition features over 120 paintings from the British Library's 17th century manuscripts. Beautiful illustrations and vivd scenes are depicted in the Ramayana, with scenes full of narrative detail and dramatic imagery.

As the story of Ramayana at British Library unfolds across the exhibition, you will be able to see Sita being held prisoner by a demon king, and Prince Rama as he attempts to rescue her with the help of an army of monkeys. Brightly coloured and vibrant episodes like the battle scenes with Ravana the ten headed monster, the monkey kingdom or Kishkindha and the white elephants are depicted with fascinating detail that will delight viewers.

Exotic flora and meticulous illustrations of the landscapes create a fascinating backgroung against which the plot unfolds. Eventually we see Rama and Sita reunited and the celebrations that ensue.

Alongside the displays of the illustrations, the exhibition of Ramayana at British Library also highlights the ways in which this classic tale has been taken up and retold over the years. Recast in different centuries and in different countries, each version is just as enchanting as the next. With music, dance, drama and shadow puppet theatre still used to represent the story, it is obvious from the exhibition that the tale of the Ramayana is still very much present in the culture and ideologies of many countries around the world today.

Several accompanying events are taking place alongside the Ramayana exhibition with free gallery talks, shadow puppets and Gamelan performances, talks, discussions and a screening of the epic 78 episode Ramayan by Ramanand Sagar which is one of the greatest depictions of the story ever made. In a tribute to the screening across India in the 80s every Sunday morning, the British Library will show the programme in a marathon session over four days.

The Ramayana at British Library is on show until the 14th September and is free to enter. For a full listing of events taking place around the exhibition, click on the link below for more information.

Ramayana Events Official Site

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