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A review by srivalli
In The Footsteps Of Rama: Travels with the Ramayana by Vikrant Pande, Neelesh Kulkarni
5.0
4.5 Stars
Are you one of those who wondered about the places mentioned in our epics? Did you want to know where Chitrakoot is on our Indian map or where Hanuman met Rama and Lakshmana for the first time?
Well, you aren’t alone. The authors of the book, Vikrant Pande and Neelesh Kulkarni, have done all the hard work locating the places mentioned in Ramayana. The duo visited the places along with their spouses to talk to the locals and gather more information.
The result of their extensive exercise is this book that takes us across the country in the footsteps of Rama. The book focuses on the places Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana traveled during their exile. What makes the book an enriching experience is the various versions and additions of folklore related to Ramayana. Each place has a history, created, written, and sometimes rewritten.
The writing style is casual, with dashes of humor to make you chuckle or even laugh out loud at times. After all, one can hardly travel to multiple destinations without things not going wrong sometimes or another. From enterprising shop owners to humble teachers, well-learned researchers, and temperamental guides, the authors meet them all in their long journey.
However, what surprised me was the lack of mention of Badrachalam, Khammam in Telangana. The town has been synonymous with Rama’s name for centuries. The temple itself is from the 17th century. The region is considered a part of Dandakaranya, where the trio lived before Sita was abducted.
Nevertheless, it must have taken a tremendous amount of planning and patience, not to mention countless hours spent making this book a reality. Kudos to the authors for coming out with such a wonderful book.
Like a few others, I’d love it if they can add images and maps to the book. Being able to at least see the pictures of the places would be great.
This review is a part of the Thousand Reviewers Club hosted by the Indic Book Club. I thank the team for the review copy. The opinions expressed above are my own.
Are you one of those who wondered about the places mentioned in our epics? Did you want to know where Chitrakoot is on our Indian map or where Hanuman met Rama and Lakshmana for the first time?
Well, you aren’t alone. The authors of the book, Vikrant Pande and Neelesh Kulkarni, have done all the hard work locating the places mentioned in Ramayana. The duo visited the places along with their spouses to talk to the locals and gather more information.
The result of their extensive exercise is this book that takes us across the country in the footsteps of Rama. The book focuses on the places Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana traveled during their exile. What makes the book an enriching experience is the various versions and additions of folklore related to Ramayana. Each place has a history, created, written, and sometimes rewritten.
The writing style is casual, with dashes of humor to make you chuckle or even laugh out loud at times. After all, one can hardly travel to multiple destinations without things not going wrong sometimes or another. From enterprising shop owners to humble teachers, well-learned researchers, and temperamental guides, the authors meet them all in their long journey.
However, what surprised me was the lack of mention of Badrachalam, Khammam in Telangana. The town has been synonymous with Rama’s name for centuries. The temple itself is from the 17th century. The region is considered a part of Dandakaranya, where the trio lived before Sita was abducted.
Nevertheless, it must have taken a tremendous amount of planning and patience, not to mention countless hours spent making this book a reality. Kudos to the authors for coming out with such a wonderful book.
Like a few others, I’d love it if they can add images and maps to the book. Being able to at least see the pictures of the places would be great.
This review is a part of the Thousand Reviewers Club hosted by the Indic Book Club. I thank the team for the review copy. The opinions expressed above are my own.