For most of the last century, Sri Lankans did not question Ramayana. A major part of the Baby Boomers, Xennials, and Millennials have read what was written by the great poet Valmiki. Sri Lankans even wished for the eventual defeat of Ravana in the middle of the story while keeping their fingers crossed to see Rama defeat the evil king. All the while they wholeheartedly forgot one very important thing. The evil king Valmiki pianted, was the ruler of their land, an ancestor from another time.
It is fair to say that the internet generation was the one who was responsible for shaking-up this narrative upside down. They alone reminded the Sri Lankans that as a nation, we were cheering the wrong camp wearing the wrong hat. An infinite number of YouTubers, bloggers, and social media personalities brought the lost fame, valor, adoration, and praise for the very soul they once chastised. Ever since, Ravana is a badge an absolute majority is wearing with great pride. “ Until the lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter “ was proven right in the Sri Lankan context. Today the lions have their historians telling their version of the tale. Hunters keep a close watch in disbelief. There are tens of songs, films, and dramas praising King Ravana. Those creations are watched by an entire generation of Sri Lankans with so much passion and appreciation. Mandodari is no evil queen any longer. The songs about her devotion and love for her King are sung in many mouths. Ravana’s family remains mainstream heroes among Sri Lankans instead of the evil clan that was portrayed by the devotees of his nemesis.
If someone rewrote Ramayanaya today there are newer and interesting facts you could add to twist the old tale. Let’s start from Nashik, the holy city in Maharashtra. If Lakshmana was to cut the nose of Ravana’s sister Shurpanakha in Nashik, it could only mean one thing. The region was by proxy or directly ruled by Ravana’s dynasty. How is this possible if Shurpanakha had to cross an ocean and travel 1900 + kilometers? According to the Geological history, both India and Sri Lanka were part of the Gondwana supercontinent. Surely it began breaking apart due to many reasons at some point but may have been well connected by this time. Now the very idea of Nahsik or the entirety of Maharashtra was either a tribute state or directly ruled by the Ravana dynasty could be a fact many Raman devotees and the Indian patriots may not be able to stomach. Nonetheless, the logical possibility could not be ruled out concerning this.
The Brhamaveda mentions celestial weapons such as Brahmastra which reminds us of modern-day nukes. Prasvapna reminds us of the modern-day laser-guided weapons. Gandharvastra is similar to psychotronic weapons that caused the infamous Havana Syndrome. Although there is a high degree of divinity assigned to those ancient ones, it is fair to say that a civilization such as the one we are in today where technology is harnessed for both creation and destruction could have what existed back in the time of Ravana. The Rama-Ravana war was indeed a war where humanity used weapons of mass destruction. It not only wiped out an entire era where archeological evidence had been destroyed but could have been the reason for Sri Lanka to exist in the form of an Island with served land connection to the Indian subcontinent. Remember the earlier argument of Ravana ruling until Nashik !
This Nuclear encounter could be one reason why we have a Ramayanaya in the form of a legend dipped in mythology. The destruction probably wiped out the otherwise rich, diverse civilization that existed in the Gondwana supercontinent or however they called it. The remaining humans kept the legend alive according to their understanding giving a sense of mysticism and divinity to facts they could not quite comprehend.
If one follows the Ramayana trails established in Sri Lanka there is a very famous mountain that goes by “Lake Gala”. The literary meaning is the Rock where the aim was taken from. It is said that long-distanced weapons, probably intercontinental missile type was launched from this. Then there is the Yahangala mountain rock where King Ravana was laid to rest after he was allegedly killed. The surprising fact is that no big tree grows here reminding an ancient site where a nuke was detonated.
To agree with everything Valmiki wrote would be an insult to our intelligence and if one tries to explain Ramayana solely through a religious lens, one would miss out on some of the most intriguing details. Modern theories could find different meanings in this particular legend. But who is ready to start a healthy dialogue without giving rouse to political and religious tensions? Only the writers could engage in such a healthy argument.
DHANUKA DICKWELLA
About the Writer
With a master’s in International relations, Dhanuka’s expertise is in Geopolitics and Geoeconomics, among other things. In addition to being the Executive Editor of The Asian Reviews magazine, he works as a guest writer in the Chicago-based Armenian Mirror-Spectator on Caucuses-related geopolitical issues and contributes as a columnist and a guest speaker to the Indian-based Force Security magazine.
He was a grassroots Politician, a political campaign Director, and a council member of a local government body in a small town in rural Sri Lanka. Before entering active politics, he led his foundation in supporting youth and the underprivileged. Currently, he consults youth groups on political activism and general political trends.
He is a poet, blogger, and an enthusiastic climate and social activist who strongly believes in making a better world for future generations. A patriotic Sri Lankan who is a father of a loving daughter.
