Why Kumbhakaran Slept So Much and More Little-Known Ramayan Tales

The Silent Ramlila: Unheard stories from the Ramayana

Untold stories of Ramayan explored in sign language by hearing impaired actors.

(Photo: The Quint)

(This story was first published on 5 November 2018. It has been republished from The Quint’s archive on the occasion of Dussehra.)

Narrators: Jatin, Manish, Ashil, Shweta, Ashish, Manik, Tanu

Interpreter for the hearing impaired: Sanskriti Bhatia

Camerapersons: Abhay Sharma. Abhishek Ranjan, Shiv Kumar Maurya, Sumit Badola

Video Editor & Multimedia Producer: Kunal Mehra

Graphics: Mehul Tyagi

Voice over: Fabeha

Special Thanks: Sai Swayam Society

This Diwali, we tell you rarely heard stories from the Ramayan in sign language. These fascinating tales narrated by talented youngsters with hearing impairments from Sai Swayam Society, will shed a whole new light on the Ramayan characters we all know.

Did you know why King Dasharath owed Queen Kaikeyi two boons? It is said that Kaikeyi once rescued an injured Dasharath in battle. She steered him away to safety, and for saving his life, a grateful King offered her two boons which she redeemed years later.

Have you heard the story of why Kumbhakaran slept so much? He found his tongue in a twist while asking for a boon. And later, although he tried to prevent Ravan from going to battle against Ram, Kumbhakaran supported his brother out of loyalty and was eventually slayed.

Have you heard the tale of the Ramayan's ‘sleeping  beauty’ Urmila? She was Lakshman's wife, the younger sister of Sita. Lakshman was so steadfast in his duty to protect Ram and Sita on exile, that he asked the Goddess of Sleep to rid him of the need to sleep so he could perform his duties 24x7. But the way the boon worked was that someone had to sleep in his place. So Lakshman asked this wife Urmila to do the sleeping for him, and she enjoyed uninterrupted slumber for fourteen years.

Enjoy these and more rarely heard stories from the Ramayan!