Indian Epics

When doing more research on Lanka and Ravana's family, one character that caught my eye was Ravana's wife, Mandodari. She was said to be very beautiful and extremely loyal to her husband despite his flaws. She didn't give up on him and always tried to help him be a better person. I felt like she would be an interesting character to focus on given her strength and all the circumstances she had to endure.  Story 1: This will be an introduction to Mandodari and her background story. This will also be the story where she meets Ravana and is married to him. Story 2: This will talk about her marriage to Ravana and how she dealt with his faults. This is the part of the story where Ravana falls in love with Sita and abducts her. I would like to go into more detail on Mandodari's thoughts during the whole thing. It will probably go up until the death of her husband. Story 3: This will be her life post Ravana's death. Many sources online didn't go very in depth...

One of the articles I read was How to Give Feedback Without Sounding Like a Jerk. Something I always struggle with is giving someone constructive criticism without offending them. Because of this I end up sugar coating things and not giving useful feedback. An important step is to explain to the receiver you're reasons for feedback. Make it clear that it is for their benefit. You should also make the person feel as if you're equals and both have something to learn. It's better to be transparent and direct rather to risk someone misunderstanding or feeling manipulated. The other article I read spoke of the problems with giving praise and how to properly give praise. The author used American Idol as an example of this. Contestants always awaited Simon's vote, considering it to carry the most weight. Despite his harsh criticism, his thoughts were the ones that mattered the most. We must focus on praising an effort not the person. If we use vague terms like "amazing...

Mithala was a lively and cheerful city. People crowded the streets, dancing and singing.  Everyone seemed to be enjoying their lives without a care. The buildings were covered in gold and the streets in jewels. Everything seemed to glitter as the light reflected off of it. That's why Sita loved this city. It always felt like there was something to celebrate. This morning she was up in her balcony playing cards with her friends as she looked upon the people of her father's kingdom. She was proud to be the princess of a place like this, but she wondered if she would ever stop feeling so alone. As she looked out over the balcony, something caught her eye. Two young, handsome men were walking through the streets. Sita was sure she has never seen them before. At that moment, one of the boys looked up at her and his eyes met her. Sita had never believed in love at first sight but as soon as she made eye contact with that boy, the breath was knocked out of her lungs. She felt like...

This next part starts with Rama going to exile. When Dashartha is informed that Rama has left, he dies. This can be a form of karma he received for denying Rama his rightful throne.Even Bharata is upset that Rama is not king. Rama meets Ravana's sister Shurpanakha in the forest. She falls in love with him and decides to attack Sita but Lakshmana is able to stop her. Shurpanakha returns to her brother in Lanka to to show him what happened to her. He is angry but falls in love with Sita after hearing about her. He uses his uncle Maricha, disguised as a golden deer, to trick Sita. Sita is left unattended when Rama goes out to chase the deer and she is captured. The Golden Deer Source: Wikimedia Bibliography: Vālmīki, & Narayan, R. K. (1972).  The Ramayana; a shortened modern prose version of the Indian epic by R.K. Narayan. Suggested by the Tamil version of Kamban . New York: Viking Press

This story first begins with King Dasharatha. Dasharata was a great king and had many riches. The only thing he lacked was a child. Through a year long sacrifice, his wives were finally able to give birth. Before Rama was born he was called by the gods to defeat the rakshasa Ravana. Rama becomes the avatar of Vishnu in order to do so. The sage Vishvamitra comes to the court to ask that he may have Rama for battle with the demons. Though reluctant, Dasharatha finally agrees. Rama is able to defeat many demons on his journey. Rama falls in love with Sita, the avatar of Lakshimi and daughter of King Janaka. He is able to receive her hand in marriage by bending Shiva's bow. We see here that Rama (Vishnu) and Sita (Lakshmi) have an eternal connection due to the love both divine powers have for each other. When Kaikeyi's son is chosen as the heir over Rama, the King banishes him to exile for 14 years. he is followed by Lakshamana and his wife Sita. The Ramayana by Narayan. ...