In The Footsteps of Rama: Travels with the Ramayana- Book Review

In The Footsteps of Rama: Travels with the Ramayana by Vikrant Pande and Neelesh Kulkarni

Genre: Non-Fiction, Travelogue, Indian History 

4.5 Stars 

Are you one of those who wondered about the places mentioned in our epics? Did you want to know where Chitrakoot is on our Indian map or where Hanuman met Rama and Lakshmana for the first time? 

Well, you aren’t alone. The authors of the book, Vikrant Pande and Neelesh Kulkarni, have done all the hard work locating the places mentioned in Ramayana. The duo visited the places along with their spouses to talk to the locals and gather more information. 

The result of their extensive exercise is this book that takes us across the country in the footsteps of Rama. The book focuses on the places Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana traveled during their exile. What makes the book an enriching experience is the various versions and additions of folklore related to Ramayana. Each place has a history, created, written, and sometimes rewritten. 

Some tales are obscure, with most details lost between generations. A few are have been safeguarded for the future to learn, and others have added new colors to bring more vibrance to the region. Imagine coming to know that certain famous incidents in the epic may not have even happened in reality! This book showcases all that and more to show that the beauty of the epic lies in its various versions. 

The writing style is casual, with dashes of humor to make you chuckle or even laugh out loud at times. After all, one can hardly travel to multiple destinations without things not going wrong sometimes or another. From enterprising shop owners to humble teachers, well-learned researchers, and temperamental guides, the authors meet them all in their long journey. 

The local folklores are shared in a different font (though in even smaller text) to make it easy for readers. The narration is seamless and lighthearted almost throughout the book. The research is evident as they tried to list out the places mentioned in several versions of Ramayana.

However, what surprised me was the lack of mention of Badrachalam, Khammam in Telangana. The town has been synonymous with Rama’s name for centuries. The temple itself is from the 17th century. The region is considered a part of Dandakaranya, where the trio lived before Sita was abducted. 

Source: Temple Tour Guide

In fact, the banks of river Godavari, the Papi Kondalu (West Godavari, Andhra), and the forest are said to bear the signs of the three of them living in exile. 

Source: RVA Temples

Nevertheless, it must have taken a tremendous amount of planning and patience, not to mention countless hours spent making this book a reality. Kudos to the authors for coming out with such a wonderful book. 

Like a few others, I’d love it if they can add images and maps to the book. Being able to at least see the pictures of the places would be great. 

Before I conclude, I would like to add a small note about a couple of typos in the book. One place where Garuda was replaced by Rama, and a few other places towards the end where Ramji (driver) was written as Ramaji and Ramji. These are minor errors and don’t affect the reading experience. 

In the Footsteps of Rama is a gateway to enter the world of Ramayana and exploring the epic and the two countries (India & Sri Lanka) in a new light. As someone who grew up watching and listening to Ramayana, this book was a delight to read.

This review is a part of the Thousand Reviewers Club hosted by the Indic Book Club and Indic Academy. I thank the team for the review copy. The opinions expressed above are my own. 

Leaving you with a small video. Enjoy!