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{{Short description|Ancient Historical Country Ruled by King Ravana}}
{{Short description|Island kingdom in Hindu mythology}}
{{for-multi|the modern country|Sri Lanka|other uses|Lanka (disambiguation)}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2015}}
{{use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
{{use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
{{use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{about||the modern country|Sri Lanka|other uses|Lanka (disambiguation)}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2015}}
{{cleanup rewrite|reason= poorly written article|date=May 2016}}
[[File:The golden abode of King Ravana India.jpg|thumb|300px|The golden abode of King Ravana]]
[[File:The golden abode of King Ravana India.jpg|thumb|300px|The golden abode of King Ravana]]
{{Contains special characters|Indic}}
{{Contains special characters|Indic}}
'''Lanka''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|ae|ŋ|k|@}}, {{IPA-hns|ˈləŋkaː|lang}}) is the name given in [[Hindu]] epics to the island fortress capital of the legendary [[asura]] king [[Ravana]] in the epics of the ''[[Ramayana]]'' and the ''[[Mahabharata]]''. The fortress was situated on a plateau between three mountain peaks known as the [[Trikuta]] Mountains. The ancient city of Lankapura is said to have been burnt down by [[Hanuman]]. After its king, Ravana, was killed by [[Rama]] with the help of Ravana's brother [[Vibhishana]], the latter was crowned king of Lankapura. The site of Lankā is identified with [[Sri Lanka]]. His descendants were said to still rule the kingdom during the period of the [[Pandava]]s. According to the ''Mahabharata'', the Pandava [[Sahadeva]] visited this kingdom during his southern military campaign for the [[rajasuya]] of [[Yudhishthira]].
 
'''Lanka''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|ae|ŋ|k|@}}; {{IPA|sa|ˈlɐŋkaː|lang}}) is the name given in [[Hindu epic]]s to the island fortress capital of the legendary [[Rakshasa]] king [[Ravana]] in the epics of the ''[[Ramayana]]'' and the ''[[Mahabharata]]''. The fortress was situated on a plateau between three mountain peaks known as the [[Trikuta Mountains]]. The ancient city of Lankapura is said to have been burnt down by [[Hanuman]]. After its king, Ravana was killed by [[Rama]] with the help of Ravana's brother [[Vibhishana]], the latter was crowned king of Lankapura. His descendants were said to still rule the kingdom during the period of the [[Pandava]]s. According to the ''Mahabharata'', the Pandava [[Sahadeva]] visited this kingdom during his southern military campaign for the [[rajasuya]] of [[Yudhishthira]]. The palaces of Ravana were said to be guarded by four-tusked elephants.<ref>Valmiki Ramayan, Sundar Kanda [4.27. 12]</ref>


== Ramayana ==
== Ramayana ==
The island was situated on a plateau between three mountain peaks known as the [[Trikuta]] Mountains. The ancient city of Lankapura is thought to have been burnt down by [[Hanuman]]. After its king, Ravana, was killed by [[Rama]] with the help of Ravana's brother [[Vibhishana]], the latter was crowned king of Lankapura. The site of Lankā is identified with [[Sri Lanka]]. His descendants were said to still rule the kingdom during the period of the [[Pandava]]s. According to the ''Mahabharata'', the [[Pandava]] [[Sahadeva]] visited this kingdom during his southern military campaign for the [[rajasuya]] of [[Yudhishthira]].


===Rulers of Lanka===
===Rulers of Lanka===
According to both the ''[[Ramayana]]'' and the ''[[Mahabharata]]'', Lanka was originally ruled by a rakshasha named [[Sumali]]. Kubera seized control of Lanka and established the [[Yaksha Kingdom]] and his capital was guarded by [[rakshasa]]s. His half-brother Ravana, son of the sage Vishravaya and [[Sumali]]'s daughter [[Kaikesi]], fought with Kubera and took Lanka from him. Ravana ruled Lanka as king of the [[Rakshasa Kingdom]]. The battle in Lanka is depicted in a famous [[relief]] in the 12th-century [[Khmer people|Khmer]] temple of [[Angkor Wat]].{{citation needed|date=July 2015}}
{{unreferenced section|date=July 2015}}
[[File:Hanuman fires Lanka.jpg|thumb|Hanuman set fire to Lanka]]
According to both the ''[[Ramayana]]'' and the ''[[Mahabharata]]'', Lanka was originally ruled by a [[rakshasa]] named [[Sumali]]. According to Uttara Kanda, [[Vishwakarma]], the divine architect of the [[Deva (Hinduism)|Devas]], had originally built Lanka for [[Shiva]], but was seized by the brothers Malyavan, Sumali and Mali. The brothers ruled for thousands of years and invaded [[Amaravati (mythology)|Amaravati]], the capital of the Devas. After suffering a humiliating and disastrous defeat at the hands of [[Vishnu]], the brothers were too ashamed to return to Lanka. [[Kubera]] seized control of Lanka and established the [[Yaksha kingdom]] and his capital was guarded by [[rakshasa]]s. His half-brother [[Ravana]], son of the sage [[Vishrava]] and Sumali's daughter [[Kaikesi]], fought with Kubera and took Lanka from him. Ravana ruled Lanka as king of the [[Rakshasa kingdom]]. The battle in Lanka is depicted in a famous [[relief]] in the 12th-century [[Khmer people|Khmer]] temple of [[Angkor Wat]]. After Ravana's death, he was succeeded by his brother, [[Vibhishana]].
After Ravana's death, he was succeeded by his brother, [[Vibhishana]].
 
[[File: Hanuman fires Lanka.jpg|thumb|Hanuman sets fire to Lanka.]]
 
# [[Malyavan]], [[Sumali]] and Mali were the sons of Sukesha. They ordered Vishwakarma to build the city for them.
# [[Kubera]] was a [[Yaksha]] King. He remade and ruled Lanka upon [[Vishnu]]'s request.
# [[Ravana]] forced his elder brother [[Kubera]] to run away from Lanka after his penance to [[Brahma]] and [[Shiva]] and became the prince of Lanka; Sumali became the King of Lanka agaun. After [[Sumali]]'s death, he became the ruler of Lanka.
# [[Vibhishana]], after [[Ravana]]'s death, and on the order of [[Rama]], ruled Lanka. He was given immortality by Rama, thus he has ruled Lanka and the Rakshasas ever since.


===Location of Ravana's "Lanka" according to Ramayana===
===Location of Ravana's "Lanka" according to Ramayana===
The Lanka referred to in the still-extant Hindu Texts and the [[Ramayana]] (referred to as [[Ravana]]'s Lanka), is considered to be a large island-country, situated in the Indian Ocean. Studies refer that Palace of Ravana was located in [[Sigiriya]] the palace built by the [[Kashyapa I of Anuradhapura]] as the epic describes that the capital of the kingdom was located between plateaus and forests. Some scholars asserted that it must have been [[Sri Lanka]] because it is so stated in the 5th century Sri Lankan text ''[[Mahavamsa]]''.<ref name="bradddell"/> However, the Ramayana clearly states that Ravana's Lanka was situated 100 [[Yojana]]s (roughly 1213&nbsp;km or 753.72 miles) away from mainland India.<ref>Valmiki Ramayana 4.58.20</ref><ref>Valmiki Ramayana 4.58.24</ref> Some scholars have interpreted the content of these texts to determine that Lanka was located at the point where the Prime-Meridian of India passes the [[Equator]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CQ8iAVwA-yEC&pg=PA20 |title=The Indian calendar, with tables for ... – Google Books |isbn=9788120812079 |access-date=26 January 2011|last1=Sewell |first1=Robert |last2=Dikshit |first2=S. B. |date=31 May 1995 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bharathgyan.com/geo.htm |title=Bharath Gyan |publisher=Bharath Gyan |access-date=26 January 2011}}</ref> This island would therefore lie more than {{convert|100|mi|km|order=flip|abbr=on}} southwest of present-day country of Sri Lanka. The most original of all the existing versions of [[Valmiki]]'s [[Ramayana]] also suggest the location of Ravana's Lanka to be in the western [[Indian Ocean]]. In fact it indicates that Lanka was in the midst of a series of large island-nations, submerged mountains, and sunken plateaus in the western part of the Indian Ocean.<ref>[http://www.venkatesaya.com/255.ramayana/daily.readings.php?m=7&d=1 Valmiki's Ramayana]</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mkSzznK3VuEC|title=The Concise R_m_ya_a of V_lm_ki|last1=Vālmīki|last2=Venkatesananda|first2=Swami|date=1988-01-01|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=9780887068621|language=en}}</ref>
The Lanka referred to in the still-extant Hindu Texts and the [[Ramayana]] (referred to as [[Ravana]]'s Lanka), is considered to be a large island-country, situated in the Indian Ocean. Studies refer that the Palace of Ravana was located in [[Sigiriya]] the palace built by the [[Kashyapa I of Anuradhapura]] as the legend describes the capital of the kingdom was located between plateaus and forests. Some scholars asserted that it must have been [[Sri Lanka]] because it is so stated in the 5th century Sri Lankan text ''[[Mahavamsa]]''.<ref name="bradddell"/> The Ramayana states that Ravana's Lanka was situated 100 [[Yojana]]s away from mainland India.<ref>Valmiki Ramayana 4.58.20</ref><ref>Valmiki Ramayana 4.58.24</ref>


There has been a lot of speculation by several scholars since the 19th century that Ravana's Lanka might have been in the Indian Ocean around where the [[Maldives]] once stood as a high mountain, before getting submerged in the Indian Ocean.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0A6OK9ODPTwC&pg=PA328 |title=The Hindu Pantheon – Edward Moor – Google Books |isbn=9788120602373 |access-date=2012-11-07|last1=Moor |first1=Edward |year=1999 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bftD5eyU7vgC&q=Ravana+Lanka+Maldives&pg=PA141 |title=Excerpta Máldiviana - H.C.P. Bell, Harry Charles Purvis Bell - Google Books |isbn=9788120612211 |access-date=2012-11-07|last1=Bell |first1=Harry Charles Purvis |year=1998 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6XnUgrwuqugC&pg=PA81 |title=Ravana - The Great King of Lanka - M.S. Purnalingam Pillai - Google Books |isbn=9788120605473 |access-date=2012-11-07|last1=Purnalingam Pillai |first1=M. S. |year=1993 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.southasiaarchive.com/Content/sarf.120045/206785/004 |title=Situation of Ravana's Lamka on the Equator |journal=The Quarterly Journal of the Mythic Society |volume= XVII |issue= 1 |date= 1926 }}</ref> [[Sumatra]] has also been suggested as a possibility.<ref name="bradddell">{{cite journal |jstor=41559897 |title=An Introduction to the Study of Ancient Times in the Malay Peninsula and the Straits of Malacca |first=Roland |last= Braddell|journal=Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society|volume= 15|number= 3 (129) |date=December 1937|pages= 64–126 }}</ref>
Some scholars have interpreted the content of these texts to determine that Lanka was located at the point where the Prime-Meridian of India passes the [[Equator]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CQ8iAVwA-yEC&pg=PA20 |title=The Indian calendar, with tables for ... – Google Books |isbn=9788120812079 |access-date=26 January 2011|last1=Sewell |first1=Robert |last2=Dikshit |first2=S. B. |date=31 May 1995 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publisher }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bharathgyan.com/geo.htm |title=Bharath Gyan |publisher=Bharath Gyan |access-date=26 January 2011 |archive-date=4 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110304195357/http://www.bharathgyan.com/geo.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> This island would therefore lie more than {{convert|100|mi|km|order=flip|abbr=on}} southwest of present-day country of Sri Lanka. The most original of all the existing versions of [[Valmiki]]'s [[Ramayana]] also suggest the location of Ravana's Lanka to be in the western [[Indian Ocean]]. It indicates that Lanka was in the midst of a series of large island-nations, submerged mountains, and sunken plateaus in the western part of the Indian Ocean.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.venkatesaya.com/255.ramayana/daily.readings.php?m=7&d=1 |title=Valmiki's Ramayana |access-date=24 December 2012 |archive-date=3 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303063254/http://www.venkatesaya.com/255.ramayana/daily.readings.php?m=7&d=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mkSzznK3VuEC|title=The Concise R_m_ya_a of V_lm_ki|last1=Vālmīki|last2=Venkatesananda|first2=Swami|date=1988-01-01|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=9780887068621|language=en}}</ref>
 
There has been a lot of speculation by several scholars since the 19th century that Ravana's Lanka might have been in the Indian Ocean around where the [[Maldives]] once stood as a high mountain, before getting submerged in the Indian Ocean.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0A6OK9ODPTwC&pg=PA328 |title=The Hindu Pantheon – Edward Moor – Google Books |isbn=9788120602373 |access-date=2012-11-07|last1=Moor |first1=Edward |year=1999 |publisher=Asian Educational Services }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bftD5eyU7vgC&q=Ravana+Lanka+Maldives&pg=PA141 |title=Excerpta Máldiviana - H.C.P. Bell, Harry Charles Purvis Bell - Google Books |isbn=9788120612211 |access-date=2012-11-07|last1=Bell |first1=Harry Charles Purvis |year=1998 |publisher=Asian Educational Services }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6XnUgrwuqugC&pg=PA81 |title=Ravana - The Great King of Lanka - M.S. Purnalingam Pillai - Google Books |isbn=9788120605473 |access-date=2012-11-07|last1=Purnalingam Pillai |first1=M. S. |year=1993 |publisher=Asian Educational Services }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.southasiaarchive.com/Content/sarf.120045/206785/004 |title=Situation of Ravana's Lamka on the Equator |journal=The Quarterly Journal of the Mythic Society |volume= XVII |issue= 1 |date= 1926 }}</ref> This speculation is supported by the presence of Minicoy Island in the vicinity between India and Maldives, the ancient name being Minikaa, or Mainaka (the mountain met by Hanuman on his way to Lanka), which in the ancient language of the place means "cannibal", probably a reference to Sursa, as cannibals from the Nicobars were frequently found here, along with snakes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Russell |first=Patrick |date=1796 |title=An Account of Indian Serpents Collected on the Coast of Coromandel |url=https://www.seaturtlesofindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Bhaskar-S.-1979.-Notes-from-Lakshadweep.-Hamadryad-41-7-9..pdf |website=Sea Turtles of India}}</ref> [[Sumatra]] and [[Madagascar]] has also been suggested as a possibility.<ref name="bradddell">{{cite journal |jstor=41559897 |title=An Introduction to the Study of Ancient Times in the Malay Peninsula and the Straits of Malacca |first=Roland |last= Braddell|journal=Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society|volume= 15|number= 3 (129) |date=December 1937|pages= 64–126 }}</ref>


===Description===
===Description===
[[File:Hanuman Watches Lanka Burn.jpg|thumb|Hanuman Watches Lanka Burn]]
[[File:Hanuman Watches Lanka Burn.jpg|thumb|''Hanuman Watches Lanka Burn'', [[Bhawanrao Shriniwasrao Pant Pratinidhi]], 1916]]
Ravana's Lanka, and its capital Lankapuri, are described in a manner that seems superhuman even by modern-day standards. Ravana's central palace-complex (main citadel) was a massive collection of several edifices that reached over one yojana ({{convert|13|km|mi|0|abbr=on|disp=or}}) in height, one yojana in length, and half a yojana in breadth. The island had a large mountain range known as the Trikuta Mountain, atop which was situated Ravana's capital of Lanka, at the center of which in turn stood his citadel. <!-- The following seems both unlikely and not in the citations given. Let's hide it until someone confirms: The city itself is described as being 100 Yojanas (ca 1,300 km or 800 mi) long and 30 Yojanas (ca 400 km or 250 mi) in breadth.{{not in citation given|reason=30 yojanas etc. is not given in the citation, see talk|date=April 2016}}--><ref>{{cite web|url=http://sanskritdocuments.org/sites/valmikiramayan/sundara/sarga9/sundara_9_frame.htm |title=Valmiki Ramayana – Sundara Kanda – Sarga 9 |publisher=Sanskritdocuments.org |date=2008-12-07 |access-date=2012-11-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WWlsWQ8foNgC&pg=PT140 |title=The Society of the Rāmāyaṇa – Ananda W. P. Guruge – Google Books |isbn=9788170172659 |access-date=2012-11-07|last1=Guruge |first1=Ananda W. P. |year=1991 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gFJlAAAAIAAJ&q=Ramayana+Lanka+city+Yojanas+long+breadth |title=Srimad Valmiki-Ramayana - Vālmīki - Google Books |access-date=2012-11-07|author1=Vālmīki |year=1976 }}</ref>
Ravana's Lanka, and its capital Lankapuri, are described in a manner that seems superhuman even by modern-day standards. Ravana's central palace complex (main citadel) was a massive collection of several edifices that reached over one yojana ({{convert|13|km|mi|0|abbr=on|disp=or}}) in height, one yojana in length, and half a yojana in breadth. The island had a large mountain range known as the Trikuta Mountain (Trikonamalai-In Tamil/Trinkomale-English,where Ravan built Temple for shiva), atop which was situated Ravana's capital of Lanka, at the center of which in turn stood his citadel.<!-- The following seems both unlikely and not in the citations given. Let's hide it until someone confirms: The city itself is described as being 100 Yojanas (ca 1,300 km or 800 mi) long and 30 Yojanas (ca 400 km or 250 mi) in breadth.{{not in citation given|reason=30 yojanas etc. is not given in the citation, see talk|date=April 2016}}--><ref>{{cite web|url=http://sanskritdocuments.org/sites/valmikiramayan/sundara/sarga9/sundara_9_frame.htm |title=Valmiki Ramayana – Sundara Kanda – Sarga 9 |publisher=Sanskritdocuments.org |date=2008-12-07 |access-date=2012-11-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WWlsWQ8foNgC&pg=PT140 |title=The Society of the Rāmāyaṇa – Ananda W. P. Guruge – Google Books |isbn=9788170172659 |access-date=2012-11-07|last1=Guruge |first1=Ananda W. P. |year=1991 |publisher=Abhinav Publications }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gFJlAAAAIAAJ&q=Ramayana+Lanka+city+Yojanas+long+breadth |title=Srimad Valmiki-Ramayana - Vālmīki - Google Books |access-date=2012-11-07|author1=Vālmīki |year=1976 }}</ref>


==References to Lanka in the Mahabharata==
==References to Lanka in the Mahabharata==
Many of the references to Lanka in the Mahabharata are found in sage [[Markandeya]]'s narration of the story of [[Rama]] and [[Sita]] to king [[Yudhishthira]], which narration amounts to a truncated version of the [[Ramayana]]. The references in the following summary are to the Mahabharata, and adhere to the following form: (book:section). [[Markandeya]]'s narration of the story begins at Book III (Varna Parva), Section 271 of the Mahabharata.
Many of the references to Lanka in the Mahabharata are found in sage [[Markandeya]]'s narration of the story of [[Rama]] and [[Sita]] to the king [[Yudhishthira]], which narration amounts to a truncated version of the [[Ramayana]]. The references in the following summary are to the Mahabharata and adhere to the following form: (book:section). [[Markandeya]]'s narration of the story begins at Book III (Varna Parva), Section 271 of the Mahabharata.


===Sahadeva's expedition to South===
===Sahadeva's expedition to South===


[[Sahadeva]], the son of [[Pandu]], conquered the town of Sanjayanti and the country of the Pashandas and the [[Karnata Kingdom|Karanatakas]] by means of his messengers alone, and made all of them pay tributes to him. The hero brought under his subjection and exacted tributes from the Paundrayas ([[Pandya Kingdom|Pandyas]]?) and the [[Dravida Kingdom|Dravidas]] along with the [[Kerala Kingdom|Udrakeralas]] and the [[Andhra Kingdom|Andhras]] and the Talavanas, the [[Kalinga (Mahabharata)|Kalinga]]s and the Ushtrakarnikas, and also the delightful city of Atavi and that of the [[Yavanas]]. And, He having arrived at the seashore, then dispatched with great assurance messengers unto the illustrious [[Vibhishana]], the grandson of Pulastya and the ruler of [[Lanka Kingdom|Lanka]] (2:30).
[[Sahadeva]], the son of [[Pandu]], conquered the town of Sanjayanti and the country of the Pashandas and the [[Karnata kingdom|Karanatakas]] utilizing his messengers alone and made all of them pay tributes to him. The hero brought under his subjection and exacted tributes from the Paundrayas ([[Pandya kingdom|Pandyas]]?) and the [[Dravida kingdom|Dravidas]] along with the Udrakeralas and the [[Andhra kingdom|Andhras]] and the Talavanas, the [[Kalinga (Mahabharata)|Kalinga]]s and the Ushtrakarnikas, and also the delightful city of Atavi and that of the [[Yavanas]]. And, He has arrived at the seashore, then dispatched with great assurance messengers unto the illustrious [[Vibhishana]], the grandson of Pulastya and the ruler of [[Lanka kingdom|Lanka]] (2:30).


===Presence of the King of Lanka in Yudhishthira's Rajasuya===
===Presence of the King of Lanka in Yudhishthira's Rajasuya===
''Lanka king is listed as present in the conclave of kings present in [[Pandava]] king [[Yudhishthira]]'s [[Rajasuya]] sacrifice.''
''Lanka king is listed as present in the conclave of kings present in [[Pandava]] king [[Yudhishthira]]'s [[Rajasuya]] sacrifice.''


.. The [[Vanga Kingdom|Vangas]] and [[Anga Kingdom|Angas]] and [[Pundra Kingdom|Paundras]] and [[Odra Kingdom|Odras]] and [[Chola Kingdom|Cholas]] and [[Dravida Kingdom|Dravidas]] and [[Chera Dynasties|Cheras]] and [[Pandya Kingdom|Pandyas]] and [[Mushika Kingdom|Mushika]] and [[Andhra Kingdom|Andhakas]], and the chiefs of many islands and countries on the seaboard as also of frontier states, including the rulers of the [[Sinhala Kingdom|Sinhalas]], the barbarous mlecchas, the natives of '''Lanka''', and all the kings of the West by hundreds, and all the chiefs of the seacoast, and the kings of the [[Pahlava Kingdom|Pahlavas]] and the [[Darada Kingdom|Daradas]] and the various tribes of the [[Kirata Kingdom|Kiratas]] and [[Yavana Kingdom|Yavanas]] and [[Scythians in the Mahabharata|Sakras]] and the [[Hara Huna Kingdom|Harahunas]] and [[China of Mahabharata|Chinas]] and [[Tushara Kingdom|Tukharas]] and the [[Sindhu Kingdom|Sindhavas]] and the Jagudas and the Ramathas and the Mundas and the inhabitants of the kingdom of women and the Tanganas and the [[Kekaya Kingdom|Kekayas]] and the [[Malava Kingdom|Malavas]] and the inhabitants of [[Kasmira Kingdom|Kasmira]] ... (3:51).
The [[Vanga kingdom|Vangas]] and [[Anga kingdom|Angas]] and [[Pundra kingdom|Paundras]] and [[Odra kingdom|Odras]] and [[Chola kingdom|Cholas]] and [[Dravida kingdom|Dravidas]] and [[Chera Dynasties|Cheras]] and [[Pandya kingdom|Pandyas]] and [[Mushika kingdom|Mushika]] and [[Andhra kingdom|Andhakas]], and the chiefs of many islands and countries on the seaboard as also of frontier states, including the rulers of the [[Sinhala kingdom|Sinhalas]], the barbarous [[Mleccha|mlecchas]], the natives of Lanka, and all the kings of the West by hundreds, and all the chiefs of the seacoast, and the kings of the [[Pahlava kingdom|Pahlavas]] and the [[Darada kingdom|Daradas]] and the various tribes of the [[Kirata kingdom|Kiratas]] and [[Yavanas]] and [[Scythians in the Mahabharata|Sakras]] and the [[Hara Huna kingdom|Harahunas]] and [[China of Mahabharata|Chinas]] and [[Tushara kingdom|Tukharas]] and the [[Sindhu kingdom|Sindhavas]] and the Jagudas and the Ramathas and the Mundas and the inhabitants of the kingdom of women and the Tanganas and the [[Kekaya kingdom|Kekayas]] and the [[Malava kingdom|Malavas]] and the inhabitants of [[Kasmira kingdom|Kasmira]]... (3:51).


===Other fragmentary references===
===Other fragmentary references===
Line 43: Line 50:
*Lanka with its towers and ramparts and gates (3:147)
*Lanka with its towers and ramparts and gates (3:147)
*The walls of Lanka (3:282).
*The walls of Lanka (3:282).
*4 tusked elephants (4.27.12)


== See also ==
== See also ==
*[[Sri Lanka]]
*[[Sri Lanka]]
*[[Kingdoms of Ancient India]]
*[[Mahajanapadas]]
*[[Ancient clans of Sri Lanka]]
*[[Ancient clans of Lanka]]
*[[Naga people (Lanka)]]
*[[Naga people (Lanka)|Naga people]]
*[[Sinhala Kingdom]]
*[[Sinhala Kingdom]]
*[[Vishwakarma]]
*[[Vishvakarma]]


==References==
==References==
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{{Tribes and kingdoms of the Mahabharata}}
{{Tribes and kingdoms of the Mahabharata}}
{{Ramayana}}
{{Ramayana}}
{{Portal bar|Hinduism|India|Sri Lanka}}


[[Category:Kingdoms in the Ramayana]]
[[Category:Kingdoms in the Ramayana]]
[[Category:Kingdoms in the Mahabharata]]
[[Category:Kingdoms in the Mahabharata]]
[[Category:Hindu mythology]]
[[Category:Mythological islands]]
[[Category:Mythological islands]]

Latest revision as of 20:28, 8 May 2026


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The golden abode of King Ravana

Lanka (/ˈlæŋkə/; sa) is the name given in Hindu epics to the island fortress capital of the legendary Rakshasa king Ravana in the epics of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The fortress was situated on a plateau between three mountain peaks known as the Trikuta Mountains. The ancient city of Lankapura is said to have been burnt down by Hanuman. After its king, Ravana was killed by Rama with the help of Ravana's brother Vibhishana, the latter was crowned king of Lankapura. His descendants were said to still rule the kingdom during the period of the Pandavas. According to the Mahabharata, the Pandava Sahadeva visited this kingdom during his southern military campaign for the rajasuya of Yudhishthira. The palaces of Ravana were said to be guarded by four-tusked elephants.[1]

Ramayana[edit | edit source]

Rulers of Lanka[edit | edit source]

According to both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, Lanka was originally ruled by a rakshasa named Sumali. According to Uttara Kanda, Vishwakarma, the divine architect of the Devas, had originally built Lanka for Shiva, but was seized by the brothers Malyavan, Sumali and Mali. The brothers ruled for thousands of years and invaded Amaravati, the capital of the Devas. After suffering a humiliating and disastrous defeat at the hands of Vishnu, the brothers were too ashamed to return to Lanka. Kubera seized control of Lanka and established the Yaksha kingdom and his capital was guarded by rakshasas. His half-brother Ravana, son of the sage Vishrava and Sumali's daughter Kaikesi, fought with Kubera and took Lanka from him. Ravana ruled Lanka as king of the Rakshasa kingdom. The battle in Lanka is depicted in a famous relief in the 12th-century Khmer temple of Angkor Wat. After Ravana's death, he was succeeded by his brother, Vibhishana.

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Hanuman sets fire to Lanka.
  1. Malyavan, Sumali and Mali were the sons of Sukesha. They ordered Vishwakarma to build the city for them.
  2. Kubera was a Yaksha King. He remade and ruled Lanka upon Vishnu's request.
  3. Ravana forced his elder brother Kubera to run away from Lanka after his penance to Brahma and Shiva and became the prince of Lanka; Sumali became the King of Lanka agaun. After Sumali's death, he became the ruler of Lanka.
  4. Vibhishana, after Ravana's death, and on the order of Rama, ruled Lanka. He was given immortality by Rama, thus he has ruled Lanka and the Rakshasas ever since.

Location of Ravana's "Lanka" according to Ramayana[edit | edit source]

The Lanka referred to in the still-extant Hindu Texts and the Ramayana (referred to as Ravana's Lanka), is considered to be a large island-country, situated in the Indian Ocean. Studies refer that the Palace of Ravana was located in Sigiriya the palace built by the Kashyapa I of Anuradhapura as the legend describes the capital of the kingdom was located between plateaus and forests. Some scholars asserted that it must have been Sri Lanka because it is so stated in the 5th century Sri Lankan text Mahavamsa.[2] The Ramayana states that Ravana's Lanka was situated 100 Yojanas away from mainland India.[3][4]

Some scholars have interpreted the content of these texts to determine that Lanka was located at the point where the Prime-Meridian of India passes the Equator.[5][6] This island would therefore lie more than 160 km (100 mi) southwest of present-day country of Sri Lanka. The most original of all the existing versions of Valmiki's Ramayana also suggest the location of Ravana's Lanka to be in the western Indian Ocean. It indicates that Lanka was in the midst of a series of large island-nations, submerged mountains, and sunken plateaus in the western part of the Indian Ocean.[7][8]

There has been a lot of speculation by several scholars since the 19th century that Ravana's Lanka might have been in the Indian Ocean around where the Maldives once stood as a high mountain, before getting submerged in the Indian Ocean.[9][10][11][12] This speculation is supported by the presence of Minicoy Island in the vicinity between India and Maldives, the ancient name being Minikaa, or Mainaka (the mountain met by Hanuman on his way to Lanka), which in the ancient language of the place means "cannibal", probably a reference to Sursa, as cannibals from the Nicobars were frequently found here, along with snakes.[13] Sumatra and Madagascar has also been suggested as a possibility.[2]

Description[edit | edit source]

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Hanuman Watches Lanka Burn, Bhawanrao Shriniwasrao Pant Pratinidhi, 1916

Ravana's Lanka, and its capital Lankapuri, are described in a manner that seems superhuman even by modern-day standards. Ravana's central palace complex (main citadel) was a massive collection of several edifices that reached over one yojana (13 km or 8 mi) in height, one yojana in length, and half a yojana in breadth. The island had a large mountain range known as the Trikuta Mountain (Trikonamalai-In Tamil/Trinkomale-English,where Ravan built Temple for shiva), atop which was situated Ravana's capital of Lanka, at the center of which in turn stood his citadel.[14][15][16]

References to Lanka in the Mahabharata[edit | edit source]

Many of the references to Lanka in the Mahabharata are found in sage Markandeya's narration of the story of Rama and Sita to the king Yudhishthira, which narration amounts to a truncated version of the Ramayana. The references in the following summary are to the Mahabharata and adhere to the following form: (book:section). Markandeya's narration of the story begins at Book III (Varna Parva), Section 271 of the Mahabharata.

Sahadeva's expedition to South[edit | edit source]

Sahadeva, the son of Pandu, conquered the town of Sanjayanti and the country of the Pashandas and the Karanatakas utilizing his messengers alone and made all of them pay tributes to him. The hero brought under his subjection and exacted tributes from the Paundrayas (Pandyas?) and the Dravidas along with the Udrakeralas and the Andhras and the Talavanas, the Kalingas and the Ushtrakarnikas, and also the delightful city of Atavi and that of the Yavanas. And, He has arrived at the seashore, then dispatched with great assurance messengers unto the illustrious Vibhishana, the grandson of Pulastya and the ruler of Lanka (2:30).

Presence of the King of Lanka in Yudhishthira's Rajasuya[edit | edit source]

Lanka king is listed as present in the conclave of kings present in Pandava king Yudhishthira's Rajasuya sacrifice.

The Vangas and Angas and Paundras and Odras and Cholas and Dravidas and Cheras and Pandyas and Mushika and Andhakas, and the chiefs of many islands and countries on the seaboard as also of frontier states, including the rulers of the Sinhalas, the barbarous mlecchas, the natives of Lanka, and all the kings of the West by hundreds, and all the chiefs of the seacoast, and the kings of the Pahlavas and the Daradas and the various tribes of the Kiratas and Yavanas and Sakras and the Harahunas and Chinas and Tukharas and the Sindhavas and the Jagudas and the Ramathas and the Mundas and the inhabitants of the kingdom of women and the Tanganas and the Kekayas and the Malavas and the inhabitants of Kasmira... (3:51).

Other fragmentary references[edit | edit source]

  • Lanka, with its warriors, and horses, elephants and chariots (3:149).
  • Lanka with its towers and ramparts and gates (3:147)
  • The walls of Lanka (3:282).
  • 4 tusked elephants (4.27.12)

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Valmiki Ramayan, Sundar Kanda [4.27. 12]
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Braddell, Roland (December 1937). "An Introduction to the Study of Ancient Times in the Malay Peninsula and the Straits of Malacca". Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. 15 (3 (129)): 64–126. JSTOR 41559897.
  3. ↑ Valmiki Ramayana 4.58.20
  4. ↑ Valmiki Ramayana 4.58.24
  5. ↑ Sewell, Robert; Dikshit, S. B. (31 May 1995). The Indian calendar, with tables for ... – Google Books. Motilal Banarsidass Publisher. ISBN 9788120812079. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  6. ↑ "Bharath Gyan". Bharath Gyan. Archived from the original on 4 March 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  7. ↑ "Valmiki's Ramayana". Archived from the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  8. ↑ Vālmīki; Venkatesananda, Swami (1 January 1988). The Concise R_m_ya_a of V_lm_ki. SUNY Press. ISBN 9780887068621.
  9. ↑ Moor, Edward (1999). The Hindu Pantheon – Edward Moor – Google Books. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 9788120602373. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  10. ↑ Bell, Harry Charles Purvis (1998). Excerpta Máldiviana - H.C.P. Bell, Harry Charles Purvis Bell - Google Books. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 9788120612211. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  11. ↑ Purnalingam Pillai, M. S. (1993). Ravana - The Great King of Lanka - M.S. Purnalingam Pillai - Google Books. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 9788120605473. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  12. ↑ "Situation of Ravana's Lamka on the Equator". The Quarterly Journal of the Mythic Society. XVII (1). 1926.
  13. ↑ Russell, Patrick (1796). "An Account of Indian Serpents Collected on the Coast of Coromandel" (PDF). Sea Turtles of India.
  14. ↑ "Valmiki Ramayana – Sundara Kanda – Sarga 9". Sanskritdocuments.org. 7 December 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  15. ↑ Guruge, Ananda W. P. (1991). The Society of the Rāmāyaṇa – Ananda W. P. Guruge – Google Books. Abhinav Publications. ISBN 9788170172659. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  16. ↑ Vālmīki (1976). Srimad Valmiki-Ramayana - Vālmīki - Google Books. Retrieved 7 November 2012.

External links[edit | edit source]

  • Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, translated from Sanskrit into English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
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