Rama, Sita and Lakshmana leaving Ayodhya for exile
Rama, Sita and Lakshmana leaving Ayodhya for exile
This intricately carved bas-relief is a depiction of a story from Ramayana in which Rama, his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana leaving Ayodhya for 14 years of exile in the forest.
Seated in front of the chariot are Rama and his wife Sita, and in the back is his brother Lakshmana. The people in the back chariot are the courtiers from King Dasharatha’s court bidding farewell to their popular princes.
Read more about the bas-reliefs in the Prambanan temples in the Prambanan Bas-Reliefs page.
Here is the story from Ramayana leading up to Rama’s exile:
Rama was one of the four sons of Dasharatha, the king of Ayodhya. Being the eldest son, Rama was the legitimate heir to the throne of Ayodhya. Kaikeye, one of his three wives, wanted her son Bharata to be the future king of Ayodhya.
When Dasharatha became ready to hand-over his reign to Rama, Kaikeye invokes two varas (boons) that Dasharatha had given to her when she saved his life during a battle. She asks Dasharatha to make Bharata the crown prince and banish Rama to the forest for 14 years. King Dasharatha reluctantly agrees because he could not go back on his promises. Rama respects his father’s wishes and leaves Ayodhya for the forest along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana.
This bas-relief is on the inner walls of the balustrade of the corridor surrounding the inner sanctum of the Shiva Temple in Prambanan, about 11 miles northeast of Yogyakarta in Indonesia.
Ramayana Related Images
– King Dasharatha’s funeral
– Dancing at the inauguration of Bharata
– Ravana abducting Sita
– Rama slaying Mareecha
– Rama killing Viradha
– Rama killing Kabandha
– Vanara Sené building Rama Setu
Other Related Images
– Shiva Temple
– Corridor surrounding the inner sanctum of the Shiva Temple
Related Pages
– Prambanan, Prambanan Bas-Reliefs, Borobudur, Bali, Indonesia
– Angkor Wat, Angkor Wat Bas-Reliefs, Banteay Srei, Cambodia
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