COVER STORY
The character of Raavan has resisted the imposition of a singular narrative of him
Outlook Magazine - 21 October 2024
Raavan Leela
Will the competing images of Ram and Raavan influence India’s political future?
With many groups challenging the tradition of burning Raavan’s effigies, an interesting counter-narrative emerges
The ordinary Tamil carries the image of Raavan as an extraordinarily accomplished person coming to an inglorious end because of his irrational passion for a woman who detests him
Rejecting the notion of Raavan as a villain signifies a persistent need to challenge the dominant narrative while remaining part of it
In the remote Adivasi regions of Vidarbha in Maharashtra, Gonds and Mandavis are staking an ancestral claim on Raavan who they believe was an Adivasi
The Asurs in Jharkhand, who hold Raavan and Mahishasur in high regard, have been protesting against burning their effigies
In some strands of Gond folk history, Raven is an administrative post similar to MLAs and MPs of modern-age democracy
Those who have come on stage to enact the king who abducted Sita perhaps know that the legacy of Raavan extends more than what a stage or a performance can hold
Will the competing images of Ram and Raavan influence India’s political future?
With many groups challenging the tradition of burning Raavan’s effigies, an interesting counter-narrative emerges
The ordinary Tamil carries the image of Raavan as an extraordinarily accomplished person coming to an inglorious end because of his irrational passion for a woman who detests him
Rejecting the notion of Raavan as a villain signifies a persistent need to challenge the dominant narrative while remaining part of it
In the remote Adivasi regions of Vidarbha in Maharashtra, Gonds and Mandavis are staking an ancestral claim on Raavan who they believe was an Adivasi
The Asurs in Jharkhand, who hold Raavan and Mahishasur in high regard, have been protesting against burning their effigies
In some strands of Gond folk history, Raven is an administrative post similar to MLAs and MPs of modern-age democracy
Those who have come on stage to enact the king who abducted Sita perhaps know that the legacy of Raavan extends more than what a stage or a performance can hold
A poem by Meera Nair
OTHER STORIES
In Sri Lanka, there is no mythological version of the Ramayana. Raavan’s world was more than that
As Raavan lay dying, Ram told Lakshman to learn from his defeats. Ram hailed him a great scholar and said there is no enemy or enmity when the war is over
From designing his own string instrument to inventing the bow of the violin and creating the first ragas, Raavan was known as an artist par excellence
How the anti-hero evolved in Bollywood
Raavan has remained the quintessential villain in our cinema. It’s time to look beyond the binaries and explore his multifaceted character
Ashutosh Rana speaks to Outlook on his performance as Raavan in Humare Ram
In Mandore, a desert town, the loss of a son-in-law has survived all jubilation over the narrative of good over evil. The town still mourns the killing of Raavan.
The personification of Raavan as a Dravidian king and a symbol of resistance plays a vital role in Tamil Nadu’s political history
Inspired by the 12th-century Kamba Ramayanam by Tamil poet Kamban, Valmiki’s Ramayana and Shashi Raj Kavoor’s play Ekadashanana, a dance performance boldly challenges the traditional portrayal of Raavan.
Every year, after Rakshabandhan in August, for three months, the entire stretch of two-three kilometres in Tatarpur comes alive. On the pavements, dividers and beneath the metro bridge, hundreds of artisans—ordinary men and women, known as ‘Raavanwalas’—are seen giving shape to Raavan
Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister-in-waiting of J&K, knows the burden of this victory and what lies ahead for the region
The Haryana poll results also mark the end of dynasty politics in Haryana.
Rata Tata was known in the industry circuit as a reserved, humble and private person who did not like to display his wealth or power, cared for the company’s employees, was an ardent animal lover and was also known to be a man of steely resolve.
Chhau is a major folk dance form of eastern India in which performers wear traditional masks to enact the roles of characters from myth and folklore. The dance involves acrobatics and dynamic athletic movements.
