Ravana's Crib
Announcer: On this episode of
InTV Cribs...(a brief clip of Ravana
welcoming us into his home airs as the announcer continues to
speak)...we will get an exclusive tour of Ravana's palace, including
his many chariots, wives, and even the luxurious room where he
sleeps.
Stick around!
(Festive music is played, mainly by
lutes and drums, as the title
appears and the show begins. Ravana stands just inside the
guarding
walls of his palace. He motions us to continue in with all ten of
his
left hands. His ten crowns are almost blinding in the sunlight,
and an
enormous gold chain also reflects the sun's rays.)
Ravana: Welcome, I see you made it successfully
past Lanka's many protections.
I am glad they remembered you were
coming. First
thing first! I want to show you my chariot, because it's one of
my
favorite possessions. Follow me.
(As the camera follows Ravana, we can
see the outside of his immense,
incredible palace. The walls of the palace are a beautiful
alabaster
white, and every entrance a beautiful arch, decorated with gold accents
and jewels overhead. Each window is also an arch shape, with gold
thread curtains blowing in the calm breeze. As we look down, the
pathways around the outside of the palace are covered in gravel that
consists of precious jewels in mostly deep blues and greens. As
the
chariot comes into the view of the camera, it is clear that it is the
size of a small city.)
Ravana: I have many vehicles to
travel in at my will, but I want you
to see one in particular. This is Pushpaka-once my brother's, but
I am
much more powerful than he is, so I am more deserving of
it...obviously. (He
laughs
a little.)
As you can see, it sits here, hovering slightly above the ground, ready
to go at any moment. If you look inside, you'll see that it's a
city
within itself.
(The camera cuts to short scenes of
the inside of Pushpaka. We see
hills of green grass, flowers in full bloom, paths that led to exotic
gardens, and even small houses. Precious jewels adorn almost all
the
surfaces. Even with only a glimpse, it is clear that every inch
of
Pushpaka is ornate and detailed.)
Ravana: You know, Viswakarman, the
architect of the gods, designed my palace, and he considered Pushpaka his masterpiece.
This
is why I knew I had to obtain this incredible vehicle. I don't
even need horses to fly this chariot, I merely use my mind! But
enough
about this...let's go inside.
(The camera follows Ravana into the
most grand entrance of his palace.
It is an incredibly ornate, gold archway. It is much darker
inside
than out in the shining sun. We can see that there are alabaster
halls
to either side, and Ravana leads us down one. During the walk we
run
into many beautiful women, smiling at Ravana and hanging on him as he
passes. They throw flowers on him as he walks. Then we see
Vayu, the
wind god, sweeping the hallway of the freshly fallen flowers. We
also
see Agni, the god of fire checking all the lamps to make sure they
never burn
out.)
Ravana: Oh yes, I should tell you
that the gods all work for me here.
At any moment you may hear the gong signaling a new hour, which is
struck my Yama, the god of Time and
of Death. On to the throne
room!
(We continue in a left-turning
circle.)
Ravana: This is one of my favorite
rooms because my throne is infinitely
comfortable. The doeskin covering never wears out, and neither
does
the
blood-red velvet that decorates it. The golden surface never
dulls. I suppose we should make our way to my bedroom now if you
want to see it.
(The scene cuts to a lofty door, made
of jade and with an enormous handle of amethyst. The doors open
and Ravana greets us again.)
Ravana: This is where I
sleep. Do not forget how privileged you are to be here. In
the evening hours this floor is covered with
women. My
beautiful women. Only Mandodari usually retires in the bed
with
me.
(The view of his bed comes into the
screen. It is elevated, with beautiful
jeweled steps.)
Ravana: This bed is made of
crystal and ivory. There are gold threads
intertwined in the sheets and diamonds on the trim so it truly glistens
in the firelight. I will sleep in nothing less
elegant. Behind it here is my personal courtyard. I like to
enjoy
fabulous food and wine there, but now I ask you to come with me
out of
my bedroom.
(We turn to the left again, and
quickly pass the kitchen, full of
clanging preparations for the next meal. In the halls, the camera
passes many elaborate stone carvings that decorate the sides of the
corridor. Then, we arrive back at
the
beautiful alabaster entrance. Ravana's eyes narrow a bit.)
Ravana: Okay, that's enough for
now. You're lucky to have a glimpse
like I've offered you into my palace. Get out of here! I've
wives
to
attend to. (He laughs again, although he is serious.)
(The scene is now the pathway between
the palace and the entrance into
the complex. It is as if we are walking backwards out of the
complex,
but it is being sped up with effects. Music plays again.)
Announcer: Coming up on Cribs...more
from the Ramayana. Don't miss it, NEXT on InTV!
Author's note:
I adapted this to be very similar to
the episodes of "Cribs" on MTV.
Usually the only speaker for the duration of the tour is the one who's
house is being shown. I kept this true to the original because I
thought it would say more about Ravana's personality if he was talking
on his own. Even though this storybook is about dwellings, I
wanted to make sure Ravana's greed and self-importance was
noticed. Also,
at the end of most episodes the cameras are "kicked out" by the
celebrities saying things like, "Get out!" and "Don't let the door hit
you," which was perfect to have Ravana saying.
I knew that a major theme in this
tour was going to be making lots of
left turns. In the Ramayana, I noticed that "good" things were
done in
right-turning circles, such as when Hanuman circled around Sta in
order to protect her, so I wanted to have evil undertones for this tour
through the most powerful demon's house. I even made sure he
"welcomed" us in with his left hands.
I envisioned a very grandiose
dwelling for Ravana. I used the idea of
archways from the Taj Mahal, and took many of the descriptions from
the
two versions of the Ramayana, but elaborated on them much more.
Bibliography:
Buck, W. (1976). Ramayana: King
Rama's Way. Berkeley: University
of California Press.
Narayan, R. K. (1972). The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose
Version of the Indian Epic.
London: Penguin Classics.
Taj Mahal. Retrieved February 2, 2009
Image: Ravana's palace in flames after Hanuman lights it on fire with
his tail. Learn
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