Dandakaranya
Encyclopedia
Dandakaranya is a spiritually significant region in India
. It is roughly equivalent to the Bastar District
in the central east part of India
. It covers about 35600 square miles (92,203.6 km²) of land, which includes the Abujhmar Hills in the west and the Eastern Ghats
in the east, including parts of the Chhatisgarh, Orissa
,Maharashtra
and Andhra Pradesh
states. It spans about 200 miles (321.9 km) from north to south and about 300 miles (482.8 km) from east to west. Dandakaranya roughly translates from Sanskrit to "The Jungle (aranya) of Punishment (dandakas").
Dandakaranya is an important place in many Indian Hinduism
religious tales. The Dandakaranya zone was the location of the turning point in the Ramayana
, a famous Sanskrit epic
. The plot for the divine objectives of the Hindu Trinity to uproot the rakshasa
from the land was formulated here. According to the Ramayana, it was home to many deadly creatures and demons. Exiled persons resided here and sages had to cross it in order to reach the Vindhya Mountains
. Rama
, his wife Sita
and his brother Lakshmana
spent 13 years as exiles traveling around the region. Surpanakha
met Lord Rama in this region, where she became infatuated with him. When he turned her down, Surpanakha had her brothers Khar and india.ushan attack Rama, who unsurprisingly, killed them in the metres and lies mostly in the indian state of chhatisgarh. subsequent battle.This region has an average height of .
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is roughly equivalent to the Bastar District
Bastar District
Bastar District is a district of the state of Chhattisgarh in central India. Jagdalpur is the district headquarters. The district has an area of 8755.79 km²...
in the central east part of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It covers about 35600 square miles (92,203.6 km²) of land, which includes the Abujhmar Hills in the west and the Eastern Ghats
Eastern Ghats
The Eastern Ghats or Eastern Ghauts are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats run from West Bengal state in the north, through Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka. They are eroded and cut through by the...
in the east, including parts of the Chhatisgarh, Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
,Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
and Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
states. It spans about 200 miles (321.9 km) from north to south and about 300 miles (482.8 km) from east to west. Dandakaranya roughly translates from Sanskrit to "The Jungle (aranya) of Punishment (dandakas").
Dandakaranya is an important place in many Indian Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
religious tales. The Dandakaranya zone was the location of the turning point in the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
, a famous Sanskrit epic
Indian epic poetry
Indian epic poetry is the epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent, traditionally called Kavya . The Ramayana and Mahabharata, originally composed in Sanskrit and translated thereafter into many other Indian languages, are some of the oldest surviving epic poems on earth and form part of...
. The plot for the divine objectives of the Hindu Trinity to uproot the rakshasa
Rakshasa
A Rakshasa or alternatively rakshas, is a race of mythological humanoid beings or unrighteous spirit in Hindu and Buddhist religion...
from the land was formulated here. According to the Ramayana, it was home to many deadly creatures and demons. Exiled persons resided here and sages had to cross it in order to reach the Vindhya Mountains
Vindhya Range
The Vindhya Range is a range of older rounded mountains and hills in the west-central Indian subcontinent, which geographically separates the Indian subcontinent into northern India and Southern India.- Introduction :...
. Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
, his wife Sita
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
and his brother Lakshmana
Lakshmana
Lakshmana was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero in the famous epic Ramayana...
spent 13 years as exiles traveling around the region. Surpanakha
Surpanakha
Surpanakha or Shurpanakha is one of the most important characters in the Ramayana. Indeed, Valmiki comes close to claiming that if there had been no Kaikeyi and no Surpanakha, then there would have been no Ramayana and no war with Ravana...
met Lord Rama in this region, where she became infatuated with him. When he turned her down, Surpanakha had her brothers Khar and india.ushan attack Rama, who unsurprisingly, killed them in the metres and lies mostly in the indian state of chhatisgarh. subsequent battle.This region has an average height of .