Page from a Ramayana: Rama’s Army Attacks Ravana’s Demon Army

A gripping narrative about the triumph of good over evil, the great Hindu epic Ramayana tells the story of Rama, his wife Sita, and his brother Lakshmana. Much of the plot chronicles how Rama, with the aid of his brother and allies led by the monkey-warrior Hanuman, rescues Sita, who was abducted by the evil Ravana and taken to the kingdom of Lanka. Lavishly illustrated manuscripts of the Ramayana were produced throughout India, and these pages showcase several distinctive regional approaches by northern schools of Indian painters who were following the imperial Mughal style.This animated scene depicts the climatic episode of Rama’s and Ravana’s armies furiously battling outside the golden city of Lanka. With bows and arrows, swords, maces and even muskets firing, the fighting is fierce as Hanuman and his monkey army join the blue-skinned Rama and white-skinned Laksmana to defeat the demon army.Images of the great Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata represent a strength of the Museum’s collections that is frequently used in teaching by faculty in Cornell’s distinguished South Asia and Southeast Asia programs. (“Highlights from the Collection: 45 Years at the Johnson,” curated by Stephanie Wiles and presented at the Johnson Museum January 27–July 22, 2018)