The Ramayana

The Ramayana is an ancient epic written in the Sanskrit. It is attributed to Valmiki, a Hindu sage living in the 4th or 5th century. It is an integral part of Hindu literature, sharing the stage with India's other important epic, the Mahabharata. Ramayana translates to "Rama's journey," and thus it depicts the life of Rama, one of Vishnu's avatars. It also features the ideal dynamics of relationships, like the ideal father, servant, brother, wife and king. It is also is a love story with spiritual and moral themes that are still widely felt in India today.

In the Ramayana, Rama is exiled to the forest where he is taught by sages and gurus. In another twist, his wife is kidnapped by a demon king and he's got to get her back. It is an epic tome filled with adventure and love, one which has become central to influential to later Sanskrit poetry, and Indian life and culture in general. The main characters of the Ramayana - Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata, Hanuman and Ravana - are all essential to understanding the underlying spirit of India. It's not a quick read at that: The Ramayana itself is massive 24,000 verses in seven books and 500 cantos.