Navratri 2020: With the beginning of Navratri from tomorrow, the countdown to Vijaya Dashami starts when the Ramleela is enacted across the country. But this year, the coronavirus pandemic has dampened the spirit of Ramleela. If you want to avoid Ramleela gathering, an alternative could be to hear or read some interesting tales from the epic, Ramayana, (which only a handful from the present generation knows) safely at your home.
But where will one find these stories? A mobile app, which has 350 stories, spread over 100 locations in the Indian subcontinent. An IIT alumnus, with the help of a team of 25 college students from across the country, has developed the mobile application — TheRamayana.
Dubbed as an amalgamation of modern technology and Indian tradition, TheRamayana is a virtual museum of over 350 written and audio tales from the Indian epic. “It is a technological product that is deeply immersed in culture also,” project manager of the application, Brinda Singh, told ANI.
The stories on the platform can be accessed on the basis of the Kaandas of the Ramayana, the characters, and the locations where they took place. About the aim of the application, founder Bhuwan Arora said that the team wanted people to be informed about the epic so that they can form an unbiased view of the same.
The team further wishes to expand to other scriptures belonging to different religions practised in the Indian subcontinent. “It is a beginning but we would like to expand to other epics. This (Ramayana) is a major Hindu text but we would like to cover other religions also. There are lots of misconceptions about other scriptures,” said Brinda Singh. “It is a step to educate people about the ancient scriptures like Ramayana, Quran, Bhagavad Gita, Bible,” she added.
The application that went live on Android and iOS in July has over 1,500 Ramayana lovers across the globe. The application brings the world of Lord Ram to the fingertips of the users who can access the tales in both English and Hindi.
Also Read: Navratri 2020: Here’s everything you need to know about Date, Puja Vidhi, Timings, Samagri and more
