The Two Ends of One Story 

Every autumn, India lights up in celebration. First comes Dussehra, then Diwali — two festivals that seem separate, yet are really two parts of the same story.
Dussehra marks the day of battle, when Rama defeated Ravana and restored the balance of good and evil. Diwali follows as the homecoming, when Rama returned to Ayodhya and the city glowed with the light of welcome.
One celebrates the triumph itself. The other celebrates what follows: peace, hope, and renewal. 

Dussehra: The Moment of Courage 

Dussehra, or Vijayadashami, is the festival of courage and righteousness. Across India, the story takes different forms. In the north, towering effigies of Ravana burn against the night sky, while in the east, Goddess Durga’s victory over Mahishasura fills the air with devotion and pride.

Whether it is Rama or Durga, the message is the same: darkness must be faced before it can be overcome. Dussehra is that confrontation, the moment when courage rises, when good stands firm even in the shadow of fear. 

Diwali: The Return of Light 

Then comes Diwali, glowing with the memory of victory. The battle is over. The diyas are lit, and when Rama returns home, Ayodhya comes alive with celebration. Even today, homes across India sparkle with that same joy. Behind every flicker of a lamp lies a quiet prayer for peace after struggle, for warmth after distance, for light after dark. Diwali becomes a celebration of return, a reminder that joy always finds its way back. 

Between the Two 

Dussehra and Diwali are two breaths of the same rhythm — one exhaled in battle; the other inhaled in peace. Between them lies a pause, a time to reflect on what was lost and what was gained. Together, they tell a single story: victory is not the end, but the beginning of healing and gratitude. The light that shines during Diwali is born from the fire that burns on Dussehra night. 

The Story Within Us 

These festivals remind us that there is more than one way to see the same story. If we look closely, these festivals are not only about gods and demons. They are also about us. Every time we face a challenge, it is our own Dussehra — a fight against doubt, anger, or fear. Every time we rise again, with strength and kindness, it becomes our Diwali. Just as they show two moments in time, they invite us to keep renewing our own perspectives, to find new meanings and fresh hope in what surrounds us. The story repeats itself in our lives: darkness and light, struggle and renewal, fall and return. 

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Hanuman, the vanara son of Kesari and Anjana, is a beloved deity from the Ramayana. He is a lot of things – a chiranjeevi, a poet, a singer, a yogi, and so much more, but he is best known for being Rama’s most ardent devotee. His might and cleverness have no match, but there are many more qualities of Hanuman that one can learn from. 

Humble 

Humility came to Hanuman in the form of a curse. After he was blessed by the gods with many powers as a child, Hanuman started using them to prank and trouble people. Once, he disturbed the penance of some sages at a hermitage. Wrathful, a sage cursed Hanuman to forget his powers until someone reminded him of them. 

While the curse was unfortunate, it went on to show that even without his powers, Hanuman was beloved by all. Even after he was reminded of his powers, Hanuman never prided himself on them thereafter. In the Mahabharata, we see Hanuman teach the same lesson of humility to his brother, Bheema. 

Devoted 

Among the many blessings he received, one was that Surya, the Sun God, became Hanuman’s guru. Even though he is famous for his strength, Hanuman was equally brilliant at studies. After completing his education, Hanuman asked Surya what he wanted as Guru Dakshina. To this, the sun god asked Hanuman to take care of his son, Sugreeva. 

Hanuman agreed, and soon became a close aide of Sugreeva. Through good and bad times, he was always there beside Surya’s beloved son, and later became the chief minister of Sugreeva’s court. While we remember Hanuman as the greatest devotee of Rama, he was just as devoted to his parents, his guru, and his friends.

Observant 

When he reached Lanka, Hanuman had to find Sita, whom he had never seen before. He shapeshifted to not be noticed and went around looking for a woman that matched the description he had heard from Rama. At some point, he found a very beautiful woman, who was sleeping in royal robes inside the palace. 

While the woman’s beauty was beyond words, Hanuman realised that Rama’s Sita would never be comfortable or sleep peacefully in Ravana’s palace. He kept searching until he found Sita in the Ashoka Vatika, looking distraught and tired, surrounded by guards. 

Respectful 

Had it been up to him, Hanuman could have brought Sita back from Lanka in a heartbeat. But he realised that this was not his battle, it was Rama’s. Sita wished to be rescued by her husband, and he could not disrespect her wishes or go against his lord’s instructions to find Sita and relay his message. 

In a modern world, one might wonder if Hanuman could have prevented a war had he gone against everyone’s wishes and rescued Sita himself. But Hanuman trusted his lord to do the right thing and respected Sita’s wishes, even though that meant watching her suffer. 

Strong 

Hanuman is considered to be the god of self-discipline and strength. He is supremely strong, being able to uproot mountains and jump high and far. He is the deity worshipped at akhadas and gymnasiums, by wrestlers and bodybuilders across India. But it is not just physical strength that Hanuman is famous for. 

After giving Rama’s message to Sita, Hanuman gets caught by Lanka’s guards. He fearlessly faces the asura king Ravana, and breaks their morale by setting their city on fire. He does not lose heart when Rama’s army realises that the asura army is stronger in numbers. He is quick to think on his feet and brings the entire mountain instead of trying to find the Sanjeevani herb to save Lakshmana. 

He is a yogi, a singer, a musician, and is well-versed in martial arts. Hanuman truly embodies that strength comes not just from your body, but also your mind and knowledge. 

Hanuman is an exemplary son, friend, brother, student and devotee. These lessons from his life are timeless, just like the tale of Ramayana, where Hanuman’s heroism finds no match.

For more such beautiful lessons from Indian mythology, get ACK’s Ramayana collection or read it on the ACK Comics app!

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According to Valmiki’s Ramayana, Sita’s departure into the earth had filled Rama with grief and anger. He threatened to destroy the whole earth if Sita was not returned to him. Brahma pacified him, saying,

“Do not grieve. Remember that you are an incarnation. You will be reunited with the pure and noble Sita in heaven.”

The next morning, Kusha and Lava sang the Uttara Kanda, the last book of the Ramayana, dealing with future events. After the sacrifice was over and all the guests had left, the sorrowful Rama returned to Ayodhya, treasuring Sita in his heart. He did not marry again; a golden image of Sita served as the queen in every sacrifice. Rama performed thousands of Ashwamedha, Vaajapeya, and other sacrifices, giving generous donations. He ruled over his kingdom righteously. The clouds poured forth rain in time, the harvest was good, and the cities were full of happy, well-fed and long-lived people. After a long time, Kausalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi went to heaven and were happily reunited with Dasharatha. One day, Yuddhajeet, the king of Kekeya, asked Rama’s help in conquering the beautiful territory of the Gandharvas, along the river Sindhu. Rama sent Bharata with his two brave sons Taksha and Pushkala. After conquering the territory, Taksha was established as king of Takshasheela, and Pushkala as king of Pushkalaavati. Similarly, Rama carved out two kingdoms in the Kaarupatha region for Lakshmana’s sons, Angada and Chandraketu.

Ten thousand years passed, with the four brothers always striving to serve the citizens righteously. One day, Death appeared at the palace, in the form of a rishi. He told Rama that he wanted to speak to him in private. If anyone heard or saw their conversation, Rama would have to kill him. Rama agreed, and sent Lakshmana outside. Then the rishi said,

“I am your son, Kaala (time), the destroyer of all. I bring you this message from Brahma: O Vishnu, lord of the universe, you were born on earth in human form to slay Dashagreeva. Your scheduled stay of eleven thousand years in the mortal world is coming to an end. If you wish to return to heaven, the Devas will be happy.”

As Rama smilingly agreed, Rishi Durvasa appeared at the royal gate. He threatened to curse the kingdom and the whole family of Raghu if he was not allowed to see Rama immediately. Hearing those dreadful words, Lakshmana thought,

“If I go to Rama now, only I will be killed; all the others will be saved.”

He fetched Rama, who came hurrying out to see Durvasa. The rishi said he had just completed one thousand years of his tapas and he wanted cooked food. Rama immediately served him food and Durvasa, after eating well, went away praising Rama. Only then did Rama remember the words of Kaala. He was filled with sorrow. Lakshmana spoke to him sweetly,

“This is but the law of time. Keep your promise and do not grieve for me. For the sake of dharma and out of affection for me, punish me without hesitation.”

After consulting his councillors and priests, Rama renounced his brother, saying that renunciation was the same as destroying a person. Lakshmana went to the bank of the river, stood with joined palms, and stopped breathing. Raining flowers on that heroic scion of Raghu, the devas came and took him to heaven.

The grief-stricken Rama decided to place Bharata on the throne and follow Lakshmana at once. But Bharata and all the citizens pleaded with him to take them along. Seeing their devotion, Rama agreed. He lovingly installed his sons Kusha and Lava as the kings of Kosala and Uttara Kosala respectively. Then he sent a messenger to Shatrughna. Shocked at the news, Shatrughna installed his sons, Subahu and Shatrughati, on the thrones of Madhura and Vidisha respectively, and came straight to Ayodhya. The vanaras, bears and rakshasas also arrived in great numbers, eager to follow Rama. Rama asked Vibhishana, Hanuman, Jambavan, Mainda and Dwivida to stay on earth until the end of Kali Yuga. All the other vanaras and bears were to go with him.

The next morning, Vasishta performed all the rites of the final departure. Then, preceded by the priests with the brilliant umbrellas of Agnihotra and Vajpeya, the lustrous, lotus-eyed Rama walked to the Sarayu, praising the Supreme Brahma. He was followed by all the weapons of destruction, and accompanied by Shri, Mahi, the four Vedas, Gayatri, Omkara and Vashatkara, and all his devotees – Bharata and Shatrughna and their wives, noble rishis and rakshasas, and all the citizens of Ayodhya, young and old, even down to the tiniest animals and birds. As they approached the river ford at Goprataara, Brahma and the devas came in their shining chariots to receive Rama and his followers. Flowers rained on them all as they ascended to the heavens and were united with their ancestors. To the delight of the Devas, Rama and his brothers merged into Lord Vishnu.

Read Amar Chitra Katha’s six-volume set of ‘Valmiki’s Ramayana’ on the ACK Comics app or Kindle. Now, also available on Amazon, Flipkart, and other major e-tailers. 

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According to Valmiki’s Ramayana, there once lived rakshasa brothers, Vatapi and Ilvala. All their life they killed holy men by tricking them. Vatapi had the boon of transforming into any life form at will. While Ilvala had the power to bring back the dead. 

In order to kill the sages, both would take another form. Ilvala would assume the form of a holy man and Vatapi would transform himself into a goat. Every time sages passed through the forest, Ilvala would invite them for a feast. Ilvala would cook the goat, which was Vatapi, and serve it to the holy men. After they were done feasting, Ilvala would shout,

“ O Vatapi! Come out.”

Vatapi would emerge tearing the stomach of the sages. The rakshasa brothers killed thousands of holy men using this trick. 

One fine day, Ilvala saw Sage Agastya passing by. As usual, he invited the sage for a feast. Sage Agastya, through his divine powers, understood that he was being tricked by the rakshasa brothers. However, he decided to play along. As expected, Ilvala cooked Vatapi in his goat form and served it. Sage Agastya ate the meal, rubbed his right hand over his belly and said,

“Vatapi get digested.”

Thus, when Ilvala tried recalling Vatapi, he didn’t come back. Agastya said,

“You wicked Ilvala, you and your brother thought you could kill me but Vatapi can’t come back now. He has already been digested and his soul has departed his body.”

Ilvala got furious. Seeking revenge, Ilvala pulled out his weapon to attack Agastya. But Agastya, through his powers obtained through penance, let out fire from his eyes burning the rakshasa to ashes.

Legends say that Agastya vanquished the two rakshasas at Konnur, in the southernmost state of India, Tamil Nadu. The place is presently known as Villivakkam, in Chennai. Sage Agastya built a Shiva temple here and performed severe penance. Years later, Shiva appeared before him and blessed the sage. That’s how the sage was set free from his sins. The temple is believed to be one of the oldest Shiva temples. 

Read more stories from the Ramayana in our six-volume box set ‘Valmiki’s Ramayana’. Now available on the ACK Comics app, Kindle, Amazon, Flipkart, and other major e-tailers. 

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After returning from exile, Rama, along with his brothers Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna, used to visit their subjects and listen to their problems. Together they solved the problems of the people and made sure they were safe and content. One day, one of Rama’s men reported that he had overheard a launderer kicking his wife out of the house because, unlike Rama, he could not accept a wife when she lived in another house. On hearing this news, Rama started to debate with himself on whether or not to exile his pregnant wife, Sita, from the kingdom. In the end, he concluded that it was his duty towards his people to set the right example as their king, and decided to send Sita away. 

The next morning, Rama sent his brother, Lakshmana, to leave her in the jungle. In a perplexed state of mind, Lakshmana obeyed his brother’s orders, even if he did not wish to leave Sita all alone in such a thick, frightening jungle. Sita was all alone in the jungle when she encountered a snake and called for help. Hearing her cry, Maharshi Valmiki found her and told her that the serpent was from his hermitage that was nearby. He then gave her shelter in his hermitage and that’s where Sita gave birth to twin sons, Luv and Kush.

Luv and Kush grew up in Maharshi Valmiki’s hermitage, with the Maharshi as their guru. He taught them everything – from the use of arms to the morals and values that they should abide by; he even taught them rituals and prayers. He also told them the story of the Ramayana, about how the Ayodhya prince Rama and his wife, Vaidehi, stayed together through thick and thin in the fourteen years of exile and how Vaidehi was kidnapped by Ravana, leading to war between their forces. When Maharshi told them that Rama exiled Vaidehi from the kingdom because of what the launderer had said, the boys were shocked at Rama’s cruelty. They thought about what may have happened to Vaidehi and wondered if they would ever meet her. Little did they know that Vaidehi was actually their mother Sita.

At the same time, in Rama’s kingdom, the Ashwamedha yajna was going to be performed. Rulers from all over the world along with their armies came to witness it. However, this ritual could not be performed by Rama without Sita being by his side. At this point, Rama actually thought about bringing Sita back to the kingdom but he could not disappoint his people. Thus, for this ritual, it was decided a golden statue of Sita would be used. A magnificent white horse with black ears was ready for the ritual. As a part of the ritual, Sage Vishwamitra tied the ceremonial gold leaf on the horse’s forehead, and then it was let loose while the army followed it.

After galloping unopposed through many kingdoms, the horse was spotted by Luv and Kush. Not thinking twice, the brothers stopped the horse and then realised they will now have to defend themselves from the army following it. Unaware that the horse belonged to their father, the boys agreed to fight. In the first attempt, the boys fought with their uncle, Lakshmana. Kush shot an arrow and took down Lakshmana’s crown. Lakshmana retaliated by wounding Kush. Enraged, Luv avenged his brother’s injury by defeating his uncle. Hanuman then took up the task of defeating the boys along with his army of vanaras. However, even his strength was no match to the bravery of the boys. The task of defeating them fell to Rama himself. However, when Rama met them, he was taken aback by their young age and asked them about their parents. They told him that they have never met their father but their mother is Sita. Hearing this, Rama fell unconscious, and in the interim, Luv and Kush defeated his army. They left Rama unconscious, took his crown, and headed home. 

On seeing the crown, Sita immediately recognised it as Rama’s. Luv and Kush took Sage Valmiki and Sita to Rama. They realized that Rama was their father and Vaidehi, the queen of Ayodhya, was none other than their mother Sita. When Valmiki advised Rama to take Sita back, he was still hesitant, worried about what his subjects might think. Sita couldn’t take any more humiliation. She prayed to Mother Earth who had given her birth to take her back in her embrace as a sign of her virtue. Perhaps her mother couldn’t let her be humiliated any further, as the earth split apart, swallowing Sita. It was thus that Luv and Kush were reunited with their father Rama, but at the cost of saying goodbye to their mother forever.

Read the entire story in Amar Chitra Katha’s The Sons of Rama, now available on the ACK Comics app as well as on all major e-tailer platforms.

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While the search was tedious, the monkey army got to witness some of the most magical places on their journey. Each direction had unique yet equally charming locations. Here’s how Sugriva described these magical places in the Ramayana’s Kishkindha Kand.

“Search the land of the Mlecchas, the Pulindas and the lands of the Kurus. Go to towns of the Yavanas and Sakas, and the land of the Daradas.”

“Search the Himalayas. Go to Sage Soma’s ashram and from there to the huge Kala mountain where the gold mines lie. Beyond that is the mountain Sudarshana and after that the mountain Devasakha.”

“Devasakha is the refuge of birds where all types of trees grow. Look for Sita and Ravana in the forests, near the waterfalls and in the caves.”

“Then quickly cross the barren land beyond, devoid of all life, and reach the white Kailasha mountain. Here stands the palace of Kubera, the lord of wealth, like a white cloud with gold decorations. It also has a pond filled with lotus and lilies and crowded with swans.”

“Next, you will reach the Krauncha mountain where you must search in the caves before going to the e barren but wish-fulfilling peak, Manasa. Beyond Krauncha is Mount Mainaka, the abode of Mayasura. Passing beyond you will come to an ashram where Vaikhanasa and Valakhilya live. Ask them about Sita. Beyond this flows the Sailoda river on the banks of which grow hollow bamboos that make a whistling sound as the wind passes through.”

“Thereafter stretches the Northern Sea with the gold mountain, Somagiri, rising from its middle. Here dwell Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma. You must not venture north of the Uttara Kurus. The moment you see Somagiri, you must hastily turn back.”

“Rama is the best of men, and has helped us greatly. When this task is done and Rama is pleased, our purpose will be accomplished and we will be released from our debt. Using all your intelligence and abilities, explore these inaccessible places and return to me. I will reward you greatly.”

Find out the other magical places mentioned in the Kishkindha Kand in our six-volume Valmiki’s Ramayana box-set, now available on the ACK Comic app, as well as Amazon, Flipkart, and other major e-tailers.  

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Valmiki is the author of one of the two greatest Indian epics, the Ramayana. Valmiki is also known as Adi Kavi, which means the first poet. He is widely credited for being a pioneer of Sanskrit literature,  defining the shape and form of Sanskrit poetry. 

One day, Devamuni Narada was conversing with sage Valmiki and happened to tell him the story of Maryada Purushottam Rama, describing Rama’s many qualities, including truthfulness, bravery, self-competence, and wisdom.

After Narada left, Valmiki went to the Tamasa river for his mid-day baths, where he spotted two crane birds calling to each other and mating. Valmiki was filled with joy seeing the happy birds. Suddenly, an arrow pierced the body of the male bird, killing him immediately. Filled with sorrow, his mate died of shock. Upon seeing this, the enraged rishi could not control himself and cursed the hunter.

“Maa Nishad Pratishtha Twamgamah Shashwatih Samah,
Yatkraunchamithunadekam Avadhih Kamamohitham”

“You will find no rest for the long years of eternity,
for you killed a pair of birds in love and unsuspecting.”

Although he was grief-stricken and in a lot of pain over the death of the innocent creatures, he couldn’t help but notice that the curse he uttered came out in a musical form that could be recited or sung. He narrated the entire incident to his disciple Bhardwaja, who memorised the couplet uttered by the sage while in grief. This then became the first-ever shloka in Sanskrit literature. 

The sage continued to brood over the incident, until, one day, Brahma appeared before him and asked him to get over his grief. He inspired the guru to compose the story of Rama in the same poetic meter in which he had cursed the hunter.

To do this, Brahma bestowed on him the divine power to see all that happened, even the thoughts of the characters. With these divine powers, he was able to see the entire life of Rama, the past, the present, and the future. Thus, Valmiki composed one of the longest works of literature the world has ever known, the epic that came to be called the Ramayana, comprising 24,000 verses across seven kandas, divided into 500 saragas.

Traditionally, the story of Rama was passed down from generation to generation orally, and was taught to only a selected few, for the fear of being corrupted. Luv and Kush, the sons of Rama, were the first students who ever heard the complete version of the Ramayana. Today, there are over 300 different versions of the epic across the world, which you can read more about here.

Read Amar Chitra Katha’s retelling of Valmiki’s Ramayana, now available on the ACK Comics app, as well as Kindle and other major e-tailers.

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