Kamban’s Tamil Ramayana has 11,000 verses — equal in scale to Valmiki. The story of how the Ramayana became Tamil culture’s defining thread.

This richly researched lecture traces the Ramayana’s deep roots in Tamil civilisation — from the earliest references in Silappatikaram to Kulashekhar Alvar’s role as the first to conceive Ram Lalla as a child deity, to Kambaramayanam’s 12th-century epic composed in the complex virittam chandas across 11,000 verses. The speaker argues that Tamil culture is the “most beautiful child of Hindu-Indian culture” — and Ramayana is its most enduring inheritance.

Moving across literature, temple legends, sculptures, epigraphs, classical performing arts, and folklore, the lecture establishes that Ramayana was embraced across all castes and communities in Tamil society from the earliest times. The speaker’s summary is memorable and disarming: “Bachcha bachcha Rama hai” — not one caste claims descent from Rama; all are Rama’s children.

About the speaker:
Sri Jatayu is a renowned Tamil scholar and expert on the Kamba Ramayana. Known for his insightful interpretations and teachings, he has dedicated his life to preserving and promoting its spiritual and literary heritage. Through his writings and lectures, he has inspired many and upheld the richness of Tamil tradition.