The Ramayana is an ancient Indian epic, composed some time in the 5th century BCE, about the exile and then return of Rama, prince of Ayodhya. It was composed in Sanskrit by the sage Valmiki, who taught it to Rama's sons, the twins Lava and Kush.

The epic follows his fourteen-year exile to the forest urged by his father King Dasharatha, on the request of Rama's stepmother Kaikeyi; his travels across forests in the Indian subcontinent with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana; the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana, the king of Lanka, that resulted in war; and Rama's eventual return to Ayodhya along with Sita to be crowned king amidst jubilation and celebration.

Synopsis of the Story of Ramayana Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, is the eldest son of King Dasharatha and his wife Kaushalya. Although Rama is his father's choice to succeed him, the king's second wife, Kaikei, wants her own son on the throne. She schemes to send Rama and his wife Sita into exile, where they remain for 14 years.

The Ramayana tells the story of Rama, a prince of Ayodhya, who is exiled for fourteen years to the forest along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana. While in exile, Sita is abducted by Ravana, the demon king of Lanka. Rama and Lakshmana, with the help of an army of monkeys led by Hanuman, wage war against Ravana and rescue Sita.