The ten headed King of Sri Lanka is no myth but reality. Popularly known for his high wisdom, he actually had as much wisdom as ten people collectively put together, and so called 'The Ten Headed' or Dasamukha or Dashanana.
Although, he is always looked upon as a cruel demon, who love to annoy the innocent, he is also known as a great intellectual in the history of Hindu mythology. Under the guidance of his father, Ravana grasped vast knowledge. He learned sacred texts like Vedas. He mastered holy scripts. Ravana himself was a Brahmin but he learned the skills and techniques of Kshatriyas.
He was known to the secret of using so many chemicals and well educated in reading the environmental changes around. It is not wrong if he is called the The Great Scientist of all times.
In the fossils found which report of the existence of 'Great Flying Dragons' also showed how the gas like Hydrogen helped creatures to fly. Ravana the king of Sri Lanka took a step further to use it in flying from one place to another. He knew about the thermal winds that shifted between India and Sri Lanka and made best use of air maneuvering to his advantage.
He was well read in the seasons and time of the year when the thermal winds started from one place to another and their strength in carrying capacity. He used this knowledge intensively in his favour. He was successful in crossing the Palk Straits(the sea between India and Sri Lanka) several times. He got dummy horses shaped like dragons to scare his enemies. They were actually light weight structures of leather or fabric filled with sufficient amount of Hydrogen.
When Ravana wanted to reach India or get back to Sri Lanka, he used to reach the actual place around the coast and waited for favorable direction, speed, and power of lifting of the thermal winds. When he judged right all the resources to work best, he would launch his charriot which was also fitted with hydrogen containers to make it light weight. The thermal winds, the light dummy dragon shaped carriers and light charriot took him across the either sides of the sea.
He would fly at a height he knew to be best favorable and the masses looking up were always overwhelmed by his miraculous flight that was why all feared and respected him. The masses compared to him were far low in intelligence but he proved a great practical scientist so he was given high respect around his place and even the wise men of the time, though intelligent and known to various secrets were not practicable as him.
The mention in legends and myths that huge size of Ravana used to appear to the Indian people in the South skies as if a huge giant shaped cloud in the shape of demon suspended in the air was a fact. But the secret behind was that the soldiers and craftsmen working for Ravana on his orders had prepared a huge super sized dummy resembling Ravan and made to look fierce having big teeth showing outside with a hanging blood red tongue and great set of horns on the head to scare and keep away the enemies and intruders.
When it was raised high up into the sky, the natural phenomenon in nature called illusionery perception worked in their favor and this phenomenon cast a huge image multiplied by many times appeared in the sky over Sri Lanka and the people watching from Indian shores were sent into shivers. Sometimes, the natural flashing of thunder and lightening added a more demonic and dramatic look to the figure.
The incident of Ravana abducting Sita can be seen in such realistic light too. After abducting her he started the launch back to Sri Lanka in his air craft. The great vulture mentioned in the scriptures to have encountered the flying air craft with abducted Sita is not a myth. Actually, there were great sized vultures in the past as compared to today. The "Gurur" (गरुड़) or the great vulture during those times must have taken the air craft as another vulture treading or violating its territory, and so it attacked the air craft carrying Ravana and Sita in mid air.
In India there is an age old custom especially in the North India to burn huge giant sized effigies of Ravana the legendary king of Sri Lanka, his brother Kumbhkaran and Meghnath. The celebration is popularly called Dassera /Dushera or the victory of good over the evil.
Most of us see Ravana as symbol of evil, but some people hold him in high respect of being one of the greatest scholars of his times. In many places in South India and South-east Asia, Ravana is still worshipped in temples, and devotees flock in large numbers to pay homage to him.
The Kailash Temple in Kanpur opens its gates only for one day on Dusshehra, and is worshipped on the day. Apart from this, Dashanan Ravaan is also worshipped in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh; Alwar, Rajasthan among other places.
There is a village in Vidisha district of Madhya Pradash(India), which is called Ravangram. Thousands of Kanyakubja Brahmins of the village perform daily puja in the Ravan temple, as Ravan is regarded as a saviour by Kanyakubja Brahmins (a Brahmin sub-sect to which Ravana is believed to belong).
Also, the Dave Brahmins of Mudgal Gotra, Jodhpur, who are originally from Gujrat claim to be the descendants of Ravan. Every year on Dussera they perform pooja on his death anniversary.
It was his love for his sister Surpanakha, that caused his inevitable downfall. Though he had previously murdered her husband Asura Dushtabuddhi as well, when he had tried to overthrow Ravana in greed for power, he loved and adored his sister. Add to that his arrogance, which forced him to seek some revenge against the men had who insulted his sister, formed the ingredients of his fall. Ravana is burnt and worshiped for ages and will be burnt and worshiped for ages. ..
I sometimes wonder, what would have happened had Surpanakha who had been infatuated with Laxman did not proposed to him, or had Laxman not cut her nose?
Ram & Laxman laughed at Surpanakha's desperation and then, fearing that she would scratch Sita’s skin, Ram indicates to his brother in sign language that her senses be chopped. What would have happened if they just refused her proposal, instead of making fun of her and then copping off her nose and ears?
Had Ravana not reacted strongly and had decided to negotiate with Ram and Laxman? Had Ravana accepted the peace proposals sent by Ram in the form of Angad & Hanuman? Had Ravana listened to Mandodari like he always did, when she asked him to let Sita go back to Ram? The history would have been written differently..
Courtesy : einearticles
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