Ramayanam resonates in Kerala homes

Karkidakom sets in amid COVID-19 fears

With the last month of the Malayalam calendar, Karkidakom, setting in on Thursday amid COVID-19 fears, the sacred verses of Adhyatma Ramayanam, authored by Thunchathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, started resonating across the State.

Dark clouds started hovering in the horizon on the very first day of the month. Hindus observe Karkidakom as the holy month of Ramayanam (Ramayana maasom).

Karkidakom has long been regarded as the month of rain and scarcity and Hindus have taken Ramayanam recital as an auspicious observance which could give them spiritual strength to tide over difficulties during the period.

However, the monsoon is yet to pick up strength in the State. The devout recite the Ramayanam on a daily basis from the very first day of the month so that they could complete it in a phased manner by the last day of the month.

No ancient story has remained as popular as the Ramayanam. Composed originally by the hunter-turned-sage Valmiki around 300 BC, the Ramayanam with its 24,000 verses unfolds the legend of Sree Rama, the prince of Ayodhya.

The Ramayanam portrays Rama as the ideal son and king, Sita the ideal wife, Hanuman the ideal devotee, Lakshmana and Bharatha the ideal brothers, and even the demon villain Ravana is not entirely despicable.

The advisory committees of various temples have made arrangements for the smooth observance of the month. At homes, elderly people, especially women, started reciting Ramayanam, which, they will complete on August 16.

Sale of Ramayanam text too has become brisk business in many parts of the State. The Travancore Devaswom Board, Viswa Hindu Parishad and almost all major publishing houses in the State have brought out their own publications of the text, in view of the growing demand.

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