The word Rāvaṇa (Sanskrit: रावण) means "Roaring" (active), the opposite of Vaiśravaṇa which means to "hear … See more

Ravana is depicted and described as having ten heads, although he is sometimes shown with only nine heads since he cut one off to convince Shiva. He is described as a devout follower of Shiva, a great sch… See more

Ravana was born to the Brahmin sage Vishrava and the Rakshasa princess Kaikasi in Treta Yuga. Villagers from Bisrakh in Uttar Pradesh claim that Bisrakh was named after Vishrava, and that Ravana was born there.
Ravana's p… See more

In the Bhagavata Purana, Ravana and his brother Kumbhakarna are said to be reincarnations of Jaya and Vijaya, gatekeepers at Vaikuntha (the abode of Vishnu), and were cursed to be born on Earth for th… See more

Ravana is worshipped as one of Shiva's most revered followers, and he is even worshipped in some Shiva temples.
Ravana is worshipped by the Kanyakubja Brahmins of the Vidisha region, who see him as a sa… See more

Effigies of Ravana are burned on Vijayadashami in many places throughout India to symbolize Rama's triumph over evil.
According to mythology, the ravanahatha, an ancient … See more