The Ramayana (Adventures of Rama) narrates the epic saga of the valiant Prince Rama and his dutiful wife, Princess Sita, who was abducted by Ravana, the arrogant ten-headed King of Lanka (probably modern Sri Lanka), during Rama's unjust fourteen-year forest exile from his capital of Ayodhya (near Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh). To rescue Sita, Rama and his faithful brother Lakshmana assembled a great army of monkeys and bears led by the Monkey-King Sugriva and his Monkey-General Hanuman. After several magical battles, the princess was freed, and the happy couple triumphantly returned home to rule Ayodhya.
According to the inscribed label written in white in the header (mostly cut off in photo), this illustration (no. 23) from Book 3 (Aranya kanda) depicts pivotal episodes in the Panchavati Forest where Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana took refuge. In continuous narration beginning in the lower right corner, Rama and Sita watch as Lakshmana cuts off the nose and ears of the ogress Shurpanakha, who had jealousy attacked Sita over Rama. In the lower left quadrant, after Shurpanakha fled to her brother Khara, who then attacked Rama with his demonic army, Rama kills the fiendish horde in a bloodbath. In the upper section, after Shurpanakha fled to her older brother Ravana, who then convinces a demon named Maricha to change himself into a golden deer to lure away Rama and Lakshmana, Ravana approaches Sita disguised as a mendicant.
See its series mate M.72.11.
