Customer Reviews

Ramayana: A Tale of Gods and Demons (Mandala Classics)

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Ramayana - A tale of Gods and Demons by Ranchor Prime is a colorfully produced, beautifully illustrated and well printed book. It was originally published as a full color bigger art book. The present Mandala Classic edition is also eye catching. The cover depicts Hanuman, the Monkey God and the servant, devotee and friend of Sri Rama. Hanuman looks charming indeed on the cover and I was thus attracted to take up the book ahead of the que of books awaiting review. The inner pages too are well printed. The illustrations by Shri BG Sharma are really appealing and add visual value to the well-printed book.

Tha story of Rama is now fairly well known, but bears repetition and retelling again and again. Ranchor Prime followed a particular translation of Valmiki's Ramayana. His narration is good. A few incidents as depicted in this book appeared odd to the reviewer who read different versions. One example is that the queens of King Dasaratha received Dasaratha and his party on return from Mithila with Sita. Another example is that Ravana is depicted as dragging Sita by her hair to his chariot. The story which the reviewer read is different, wherein Ravana doesn't even touch Sita but makes her swoon by showing his frightening form and then lifts her up indirectly by digging up the earth surrounding her body. The reason was that Ravana was cursed by another beautiful woman Vedavati that he will die if he ever touches a woman against her wish.

There are a few more similar differences in the story, but in general, the story is well told. One important omission is the story regarding Aditya Hridayam, the Heart of Sun, a glorious hymn in praise of Sun God, told to Rama by Sage Agastya. Ravana's death was certainly felicitated by Sun God's blessings of Rama's efforts. Aditya Hridayam is one of the most beautiful hymns of Valmiki Ramayan and is chanted daily by lakhs of devotees.

This book will be a good read for children and adults who are interested in Hindu mythology.

Note: Swamy is part of my name and I am not a Sanyasi (monk), though I do have spiritual leanings and devotion to Sri Rama, God in human form. I am married and am employed full time.

You're heard it before - never judge a book by it's cover. Well that's so true about this book. I bought it because i was impressed by the color and detail of the cover illustration. I was expecting beautiful full color illustrations throught based on the book description, but all the illustrations, except for the cover, are in sephia. The translation, on the other hand, reads well. It's very concise, but full of memorable imagery.

Very beautifully and tastefully done. This book tells an age old story with UNBELIEVABLE portraits. A must have for any one interested in Hinduism and want an easy read with beautiful and engaging images.

Wonderful/timeless pictures, faithful translation and easy-to-read! Highly recommended for children and adults. This is a perfect gift for children.

An easy way to be introduced to the Ramayana epic. Right to the point! I would still advise after this introduction purchasing a more detailed version of this story. Great fun read!

This is a beautiful art book. Some reviewers have complained that the illustrations are not in color. This must apply to the paperback edition because the hardcover is in full color throughout. For a more complete retelling of the Ramayana I recommend The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic.