Top rid the world of the evil ten headed Ravana, the Hindu God Vishnu appears on earth as a heroic prince, Rama. The devotion of his brother Lakshman, his marriage to the beautiful Sita, and encounters with demons, giants, sages , and holy men, form favorite episodes from Ramayana, the great epic of India.

Rama's efforts to rescue the kidnapped Sita are full of adventure, aided by Hanuman, leader of an army of monkeys. The enthralling tales that string the story together capture the imagination of young readers and adults alike.

The adventures of Rama are incidents derived from the Ramayana, which was transmitted orally for centuries. It was later captured into magnificent painted texts by the Mughal ateliers, who also translated the stories into Persian.

The adventures retold here are lavishly illustrated from the original paintings of a sixteenth-century Mughal manuscript ordered by Emperor Akbar. Twenty four paintings from the total 130 are included in this splendid book. (jacket)