A Thousand Flowers Bloom
The Caravan|November 2021
The many Muslim versions of the Ramayana
AZEEZ THARUVANA
A Thousand Flowers Bloom
As King Dasharatha’s dear son Lama desired, He had married the lotus-honeyed Sita.

But one day the ruler of Lanka, ten-nosed King Lavana,

Shamelessly intoned of Sita, that jewel of womanhood,

“You pearl of damsels, since we brought you to Lanka,

So many days have passed, my pearl, my radiant flower garland!

By my two eyes, I swear to you, my golden one,

That I have had such desire to see you and tell you what I should …

But when such a woman should have entered the bower of bliss with me—

Why, Allah! Why did you come with that pig Lama?

THESE LINES, translated from Malayalam, are part of what is known as the Mappila Ramayana. As countless other places and communities have done, the Mappilas—Muslims who live in the Malabar region of Kerala—have adapted the story of Ram and Ravan, whom they refer to as Lama and Lavana, in the mould of their own culture. Their references to Allah point to their Islamic belief system. The Mappila Ramayana is merely one part of a large body of literature that comprises various Islamicised versions of the Ramayana in South and Southeast Asia.

This story is from the November 2021 edition of The Caravan.

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This story is from the November 2021 edition of The Caravan.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.