In some versions of the

Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...

such as the

Krittivasi Ramayan ''Kṛttivāsī Rāmāyaṇ'',; also called ''Śrīrām Pãcālī'', composed by the fourteenth-century Bengali poet Krittibas Ojha, from whom it takes its name, is a rendition of the '' Rāmāyaṇa'' into Bengali. Written in the traditional '' ...

a, Mahiravana, is the brother of the rakshasa king

Ravana According to the Mahakavya, Hindu epic, ''Ramayana'', Ravana was a kingJustin W. Henry, ''Ravana's Kingdom: The Ramayana and Sri Lankan History from Below'', Oxford University Press, p.3 of the island of Lanka, in which he is the chief antag ...

. He secretly carried away

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

and his brother

Lakshmana Lakshmana (, ), also known as Laxmana, Lakhan, Saumitra, and Ramanuja, is the younger brother of Rama in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is considered as an incarnation of Shesha, the lord of serpents. Lakshmana was married to Urmila, and i ...

to the nether-world, consulted his friends, and decided to sacrifice the life of the two divine brothers at the altar of his chosen deity, goddess Mahamaya. However,

Hanuman Hanuman (; , ), also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine ''vanara'', and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the ''Ramayana'', Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotio ...

saved their lives by decapitating Mahiravana, and destroying his army.

Popular culture

The ''Mairavan charitra'' was written in

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...

in Kavya style in the 16th century by Adithya kavi. The story of Mahiravana was made into a Telugu film in 1940 by Ghantasala Balaramaiah entitled ''

Mahiravana In some versions of the Ramayana such as the Krittivasi Ramayana, Mahiravana, is the brother of the rakshasa king Ravana. He secretly carried away Rama and his brother Lakshmana to the nether-world, consulted his friends, and decided to sacri ...

''. The veteran actor

Vemuri Gaggaiah Vemuri Gaggayya (1895–1955) was an Indian actor and singer known for his works in Telugu cinema, and Telugu theatre. Gaggayya was an important member of the "Mylavarama Bala Bharathi Nataka Samajam" in Mylavaram, Krishna district during 191 ...

played the role of Mahiravana.Mahiravana 1940 film at IMDb.
/ref> The legend was also featured in the 2018 animated film ''

Hanuman vs Mahiravana ''Hanuman vs Mahiravana'' is a 2018 Indian epic adventure 2D and 3D stereoscopic animated film, made by Gamaya Inc, produced by Green Gold Animation Pvt Ltd and distributed by Yash Raj Films. Written by Narayanan Vaidyanathan and directed by D ...

'', released in Hindi and Tamil and in seris The Legend of Hanuman Season 5 where we get to know more about Ahiravan's world.

References

4.https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ni0JD61X8oA {{Commons category Rakshasa in the Ramayana

Popular culture

See also

References