Album: By Country | By Date India | April 2001 < Prev Image | Madurai and Its Sri Meenakshi Temple | Next Image >
Travelogue: By Country | By Date India | April 2001  

 

Duncan says this is Hanuman. In Hindu mythology, Hanuman was the divine monkey chief, a central figure in the great Hindu epic the Ramayana ("Romance of Rama"). Accompanied by a host of monkeys, he aided Rama in recovering his wife, Sita, from the demon Ravana. He also acted as Rama's spy in the midst of the demon's kingdom; when he was discovered and his tail set on fire, he burnt down their city, Lanka. Hanuman flew to the Himalayas and carried back the mountain of medicinal herbs to restore the wounded among Rama's army. He crossed the strait between India and Sri Lanka in one leap. In his devotion to Rama, Hanuman is upheld as a model for human devotion to god.

© Monica & Mark Hughes 2000-02