Indian traditions, Nivedita and Coomaraswamy
Lanka
The searchers learn that Ravana lives in Lanka, a hundred leagues across the sea. The distance turns Sita’s rescue into a problem of crossing before it can become a problem of battle. Hanuman sees a city ringed with a golden wall and filled with immense buildings credited to Vishvakarman. He enters secretly after dark and searches its rich courts and chambers for Sita.
Also known as Laṅkā · Ravana’s city
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In the sources
Principal account
TraditionalThe searchers learn that Ravana lives in Lanka, a hundred leagues across the sea. The distance turns Sita’s rescue into a problem of crossing before it can become a problem of battle.
Further detail
TraditionalHanuman sees a city ringed with a golden wall and filled with immense buildings credited to Vishvakarman. He enters secretly after dark and searches its rich courts and chambers for Sita.
Context & interpretation
Lanka is considered as the Ramayana stronghold portrayed by this collection, with its narrative distances and divine architecture. The entry does not resolve historical identifications with Sri Lanka or equate an epic city’s description with a verified geographical survey.
Original passages
Source 1
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists
Ravana dwelt in Lanka, a hundred leagues across the seaOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Nivedita and Coomaraswamy, Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists (1914), active reader leaf 92
Exact passage checked against the active edition text and original-leaf mapping; whitespace and scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0109-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0109-E001-P0092
- Original scan leaf
- 92
- Recorded leaf number
- 92
- Current Reader position
- 83
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists
girt with a golden wallOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Nivedita and Coomaraswamy, Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists (1914), active reader leaf 96
Exact passage checked against the active edition text and original-leaf mapping; whitespace and scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0109-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0109-E001-P0096
- Original scan leaf
- 96
- Recorded leaf number
- 96
- Current Reader position
- 87
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
