Landing Port of Peacock Chariot
Ravana - The Legendary Emperor of Sri Lanka
The life of Ravana, one of the most powerful beings ever to roam the
universe, if Hindu legends are to be believed, had unfolded in the small island
Sri Lanka, where he ruled with mighty power over gods, humans and
demons.
Valmiki’s Ramayana paint Ravana as a tyrant of mighty power who was
holding the gods at ransom, and he continues to be treated as a blackguard in
India even today. In the classic text, he is found kidnapping Rama's wife Sita,
to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off
the nose of his sister Surpanakha.
Yet Ravana of Sri Lanka is portrayed to be a different king and a human. He is
described as a devout follower of the god Shiva, a great scholar, a capable
ruler and a maestro of aveena, known as the ravanhattha.
The story goes that Ravana in order to please his mother had decided to bring
the mountain Kailash to Sri Lanka. As he lifted up the mountain, God Shiva
was angered by his arrogance and pushed it back down, trapping Ravana.
The King of Lanka had torn off one of his own arms and made a musical
instrument, ripping out sinews to form the strings. He used the newly invented
ravanhattha to sing the praises of Shiva, creating music of such beauty that
Shiva wept and forgave him.
According to Hindu mythology Ravana was born to a great sage Vishrava and
his wife, princess Kaikesi. He was born in the Devagana, as his grandfather,
the sage Pulastya, was one of the ten Prajapatis or mind-born sons of
Brahma and one of the Saptarishi or the Seven Great Sages during the age of
Manu.Ravana’s siblings include Vibhishana, Kumbhakarna and Ahiravana
and a step brother Kubera, from whom he usurped the Kingdom of Lanka.
Lanka was an idyllic city, created by the celestial architect Vishwakarma
himself and was the home of Kuwera, the treasurer of the gods, when Ravana
demanded Lanka wholly from him, threatening to take it by force. Although
Ravana usurped Lanka, he had been a benevolent and effective ruler. Lanka
flourished under his rule and Ravana had proceeded on a series of
campaigns conquering humans, celestials and demons.
It is said that Ravana ruled Lanka for several hundred years prior to the times
of Ramayana, when he was killed by prince Rama for kidnapping his wife
Sita.
Yet some believe Ramayana to be a semi-fiction woven around a real King
who ruled over Sri Lanka from 2554 to 2517 BC.Sri Lankan lore has it that Sri
Lanka under the scholarly Ravana saw great advancements in science and
medicine. The pushpaka vimana or the aeroplane which he flew is held as an
example of great scientific achievements made during his regime while
Ravana also holds a high position as a physician and there exists, to this day,
seven books on Ay