One of the most formidable of these foes, the ten-headed demon Ravana, kidnaps Sita. His wife, Sita, and brother, Lakshmana, accompany him on his exile and the group encounters numerous friends and foes as they journey across land and sea. The epic narrates how Rama, the crown prince of Ayodhya, is banished from his kingdom for fourteen years. The hero of this epic, Rama, is viewed by many as an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, born to restore cosmic balance between good and evil. The Ramayana (The Journey of Rama) is perhaps the most popular story from South Asia and is recounted, visualized, and performed throughout India, Southeast Asia, and beyond.
