Queen Of Lanka- Part 1

susmitha subramanya
2 min readMar 28, 2020

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She is one of the Panchakanya the recital of whose names are believed to dispel sin. She was the Queen of Lanka and wife of Ravana from Indian mythology Ramayana and she is called Mandodari. We always remember Lord Rama as a Supreme, Sita for her sacrifice, Ravana as the demon king but what happened to Mandodari who was equally part of this struggle?

All of our lives we read and heard about tales of Lord Rama, his wife Sita, their struggle and battle against Ravana, Hanuman, Ayodhaya, etc. But never heard the agony which Mandodari went through. Let me start the story of frog- turned -beautiful- maiden.

Birth Of the Lankan Queen:

There was an Apsara named Madhura who wanted to appease Lord Shiva in absence of Parvathi(wife of Shiva). When Goddess Parvathi arrives she sees bhasma all over Madhura’s body, she becomes enraged and cursed her to become a frog and live in a well for the next twelve years. Shiva consoles Madhura and says she will become a beautiful woman and be married to a great valorous man. After twelve years, Madhura becomes a beautiful maiden again and cries out loudly from the well.

Mayasura- King of Asuras and his wife Hema (a celestial nymph) had two sons, Mayavi and Dundubhi, but they longed for a daughter. So they decided to sit for a strict penance to seek this boon from their Lords. Meanwhile, Madhura’s 12 years of strict penance was coming to an end. Mayasura heard the cry of a beautiful girl child from the well. He and his wife Hema adopted her and named her Mandodari.

Mandodari (one with the slender waist) grew up to be one of the beautiful women. King Mayasura was a renowned architect. He taught Mandodari about the various landforms of Bharatvarsh which were Swarg (heavenly plateaus), Bhoomi (plains) and Patala (underworld).

She took a keen interest in construction and design. The king’s palace was an architectural wonder. One day, a great scholar and Shiva Bhakta came to the king’s court to seek architectural advice on building temples in his kingdom. This is how Mandodari for the first time met her future husband Ravana.

How did she marry Ravana? What was her life after marriage? I will get back in the next part. Until then keep your imagination rich because this is the epic story of valor, sacrifice, and righteous woman!

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susmitha subramanya
susmitha subramanya

Written by susmitha subramanya

Writer, nature lover, and random scribbler.Love Coffee, hoarding books, and planning trips I may or may not take.Art and storytelling?That’s whr the magic is!

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