Ramayana Character Map: People and Places in the Great Hindu Epic

Ramayana Characters from Ahalya to Jatayu

• Ahalya: Wife of sage Gautama, who was turned into a stone and was later freed from the curse by the touch of Rama.
• Bharata: Brother of Rama and son of Kaikeyi.
• Dasharatha: Rama's father and King of Kosala.
• Dashanan: Ten-headed King of Lanka (Ravana).
• Garuda: The mighty mythical raptor; King of winged creatures.
• Gautama: Sage/Rishi who cursed her wife Ahalya and turned her into a stone for her immoral conduct.
• Hanuman: Son of Pavana--the wind God; Devotee of Rama and a leading warrior among the monkey tribe.
• Indrajit: Ravana's son who fought Rama with magical powers.
• Jambuvan: Leader of bears who found Sita with his supernatural powers.
• Janaka: King of Mithila; Father of Sita, who found her in a furrow.
• Jatayu: a Great bird who was killed by Ravana while rescuing Sita.

Ramayana Characters from Kaikeyi to Nala

• Kaikeyi: Dashartha's youngest queen and mother of Bharata who asked for Rama's exile.
• Kausalya: Dashratha's queen and Rama's mother.
• Kevat: Boatman who let Rama, Laxman, and Sita cross the river in his boat and who washes Rama's feet.
• Khar: Brother of Ravana and Shurpanakha.
• Kumbhkarna: Ravan's brother, known for sleeping and eating.
• Kush: Son of Rama and Sita.
• Laxman: Queen Sumitra's son and Rama's brother; also known as Lakshmana.
• Lava or Luv: Son of Rama and Sita; brother of Kush.
• Mandavi: Bharat's wife and King Janak's daughter.
• Manthara: Maidservant of Keikeyi, who convinced her for Bharat's thorn and exile of Rama.
• Maricha or Mareech: Assumed form of suvarna mriga, or golden deer, and helped abduct Sita.
• Meghanad: Ravana's son, who made Laxman unconscious in the battlefield with his arrow.
• Nala: Son of a great builder who helped Rama construct the famous bridge to Lanka.

Ramayana Characters from Rama to Sushen

• Rama: The main protagonist of the Ramayana-- an avatar of Lord Vishnu; the prince of Ayodha, son of King Dasharatha of Kosala.
• Ravana: Ten headed King of Lanka, who abducted Sita; brother of Vibhishana and Surpanakha; father of Indrajit; husband of Mandodari.
• Sampati: Brother of Jatayu.
• Shatrughna: Rama's younger brother.
• Shabari: Devotee of Rama who offered him berries.
• Shatananda: Head Priest or kul Guru of Mithila.
• Shiva: The Lord of Destruction--part of the Hindu Trinity of Gods, whose bow was lifted by Rama in the swayamvar of Sita.
• Shravan: Son of blind parents; known as an idol of service to parents.
• Shrutkirti: Shatrughna's wife and King Janak's daughter.
• Shurpanakha: Ravan's sister whose ears and nose were cut by Laxman.
• Sita: Daughter of Janaka and wife of Rama.
• Sugriva: King of monkey tribe and King of Kiskindha.
• Sumanta: Charioteer of King Dasharatha.
• Sumitra: Wife of Dashratha; Mother of Laxman and Shatrughna.
• Sunayana: Wife of King Janak; Mother of Sita.
• Sushen: Lankan physician, who advised Sanjivani herbs from Kailas mountain in order to cure Laxman.

Ramayana Characters from Tataka to Vishwamitra

• Tataka: Demoness or rakshasi killed by Rama; mother of Mareecha.
• Tulsidas: Sanskrit scholar and poet who created Ramacharitmanas, a version of Valmiki Ramayana in local Avadhi language.
• Urmila: Laxman's wife; daughter of King Janak and sister of Sita.
• Vali or Bali: The mighty ape, cousin of Sugriva, who occupied Kiskindha and was killed by Rama.
• Valmiki: The great poet and creator of Ramayana; Sage who helped Sita and her two sons Lava-Kush stay at her ashrama.
• Vanara: Monkey; The army led by Hanuman. A hill tribe of Southern India – according to the Ramayana.
• Vasistha: Head priest or kul Guru of Ayodhya
• Vibhishana: Ravana's brother who leaves Lanka to join Rama and later becomes the king of Lanka.
• Vishnu: Lord of Preservation – part of the Hindu Trinity of Gods; Rama is considered the 8th incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
• Vishwamitra: Sage or rishi, who used Rama to kill troubling demons.

13 Places in the Ramayana

1. Ayodhya: Capital city of Kosala which was rules by Rama's father, Dashratha.
2. Ashoka van: A place in Lanka where Ravana kept Sita after the abduction.
3. Chitrakoot or Chitrakut: Forest place where Rama, Sita, and Laxman stayed during exile.
4. Dandakaranya: Forest where Rama, Sita, and Laxman traveled during exile.
5. Godavari: River, crossing which Rama, Sita, and Laxman reached Panchavati.
6. Kailash: Mountain where Hanuman found sanjivani; Abode of Lord Shiva.
7. Kiskindha: Kingdom ruled by Sugriva, leader of monkey tribe.
8. Kosala: Kingdom ruled by Dashratha.
9. Mithila: Kingdom ruled by king Janaka, Sita's father.
10. Lanka: Island kingdom ruled by demon king Ravana.
11. Panchavati: Rama, Sita and Laxman's forest hut, from where Sita was abducted by Ravana.
12. Prayag: Confluence of river Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati (presently known as Allahabad).
13. Sarayu: River on the banks of which Ayodhya is situated.