Living Ramayanas: Exploring The Plurality Of The Epic In Wayanad And The World

Living Ramayanas Broadens The Map Of The Ramayana Beyond The Familiar Valmiki Version, Offering A Compelling Study Of The Many Tellings That Persist In Communities Worldwide. This Scholarly Yet Accessible Exploration Traces Ramayana's Life In Kerala's Wayanad, Where Unwritten Ramayanas Such As The Adiya Ramayana, Chetti Ramayana, And Sitayana Are Kept Alive Through Performance, Song, And Everyday Practice. Aimed At Curious Readers—From Students Of Literature And Anthropology To General Readers Who Love Myth And Culture—This Book Carries A Warm, Inviting Tone That Invites Discovery Rather Than Doctrinal Certainty. Written By Azeez Tharuvana, Living Ramayanas Moves From Fieldwork To Close Readings, Showing How Each Version Reflects Social Relationships And Cultural Consciousness In Its Community. It Is Structured Around Vivid Place-Based Cases—From The Ashramkolly Ashram Near Pulpally To The Legendary Sites Where Sita Is Said To Have Descended To Earth—To Illustrate How Geography And Memory Shape Telling. The Experience Is Engaging Because Tharuvana Blends Careful Scholarship With Storytelling, Offering Accessible Explanations Of Complex Ideas And Inviting Readers To Imagine The Living Tradition Behind Each Ramayana Tale. As A Non-Fiction Work, Living Ramayanas Surveys Key Concepts—Oral Transmission, Performance Traditions, And The Social Function Of Myth—Presented In A Way That