In a podcast with AI researcher Lex Fridman, Prime Minister Narendra painted a vivid image of India’s cultural, linguistic, and regional diversity and how they are united under one name—Ram. Prime Minister called Lord Ram a “common thread” that beautifully binds India’s kaleidoscopic diversity into a unified tapestry of ancient yet living civilization.
As Lex Fridman asked about what is the idea that unites India and what India is as a nation, PM Modi responded, “Look, India is a cultural identity. It is a civilization that dates back thousands of years. Consider the vastness of India, with over a hundred languages and thousands of dialects.” Further emphasising the saying that every 20 miles, the language, customs, cuisine, and clothing styles change from region to region, he said that despite this immense diversity, there is a common thread that unites the country—Lord Ram.
PM Modi highlighted the stories of Lord Ram, which resonate across India, and pointed out how names inspired by Lord Ram are found in every region, from Rambhai in Gujarat to Ramachandran in Tamil Nadu and Ram Bhau in Maharashtra. He remarked that this unique cultural bond unites India as one civilization.
“From the South to the North, you will see immense diversity across the country. But if you dig a little deeper, you will find a common thread. For example, the name of Lord Ram echoes in every corner of the country. But if you look closely, from Tamil Nadu to Jammu and Kashmir, you will always find people whose names include Ram in some form. In Gujarat, you might be called Rambhai, in Tamil Nadu, Ramachandran and in Maharashtra Rambhau. This unique cultural bond is what unites India as one civilization,” PM Modi said.
Bhagwan Ram culturally unites India – PM Modi pic.twitter.com/e14peUBzZk
— Rahul Roushan (@rahulroushan) March 16, 2025
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi beautifully describes how Hindu Dharma, particularly, Lord Ram, is the inextricable thread that has woven Bharat’s fabric of vast and varied civilization transcending linguistic, regional and cultural confines, let’s unpack how Bhagwan and Ramayana bind us Indians as one civilization.
Lord Ram and the revered saga of his heroism—Ramayana—manifest across India’s diverse regions not only as a shared name or figure but as a vibrant, living presence in folk traditions, dance forms, literature, festivals and the sacred geography. In fact, Lord Ram’s glory stitches together a broader Dharmic and cultural tapestry that transcends the boundaries of India.
Bhagwan Ram as the “common thread” unifying India: The journey across states and cultures
The Hindu epic of Ramayana authored by Rishi Valmiki is not a mere static epic confined to ancient Sanskrit texts rather it is entrenched in India’s cultural essence and has been retold, reimagined and relived across India’s linguistic and cultural mosaic, blending local flavours while retaining the core essence. The life and times of Bhagwan Ram, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, extend to a vast geographical span—from Janakpur in Nepal where Mata Sita was born, to Sri Lanka where Ravana’s kingdom was situated, literally stretches across the subcontinent and touches neighbouring countries, every state within India leaving a trail of spectacular temples, soulful traditions and intriguing tales.
Bhagwan Ram was born in the holy city of Ayodhya in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. While Lord Ram is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu the supreme God, in the Awadh region Lord Ram is revered as the King. Ayodhya, the Hindu spiritual epicentre has seen it all, from the glory of Lord Ram’s life, the destruction of Ram Janambhoomi Mandir on the orders of Mughal tyrant Babur to the reclamation and reconstruction of Ram Mandir after 500 years. In fact, Hindus from across the country participated in some way or another to reclaim the rightful abode of Lord Ram.
Ramlila, a dramatic reenactment of the Ramayana, is performed during Dussehra or Vijay Dashami with local performers bringing the story of the divine to life through songs, music, dance and theatres. Ramcharitmanas, the 16th-century retelling of Ramayana in Awadhi rekindled the flame of Ram Bhakti (devotion towards Lord Ram) when Bharat was under consistent attacks of foreign Islamic jihadi invaders. Even to this day, Ramcharitmanas is found in almost every north Indian Hindu household and the chaupais (quatrain), Bhajans and folk songs dedicated to Lord Rama and Goddess Sita echo through villages and cities. Interestingly, Lord Rama is not only a unifier of Hindus but also unites the followers of other Indic religions. In Punjab, several Sikh traditions revere Lord Ram as Guru Nanak Ji referenced Lord Ram as the epitome of righteousness in the Guru Granth Sahib. Even Jains have composed their ‘non-violent’ retelling of Ramayana called the Paumachariyam or Padmacharitra.
In Odisha, the Jagmohana Ramayana by Balarama Dasa in the early 1400s in Odia language is a retelling of Ramayana emphasizing Lord Ram’s Leela or his divine play and incorporates local sensibilities. Folk dances like Chhau present a captivating reenactment of episodes from Ramayana. Similarly, Bengal has its lens to see Lord Ram’s life and deeds—the Krittivasi Ramayana by 15th-century poet Mahakavi Kritvasi Ojha. This Bengali retelling of Ramayana has a colloquial and folksy style resonating with the region’s devotional culture.
Even festivals like (the day Lord Ram was born as the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu), Dussehra (the day Lord Ram slayed Ravana and established Dharma), Diwali (the return of Lord Ram, Goddess Sita and Lakshman to Ayodhya after 14 years exile, among others relating to the figures mentioned in Ramayana as well as the events described in the epic are celebrated across the country and by Hindus living elsewhere with unbridled joy and devotion.
Be it the Tulsidas authored Geetavali, a Braj rendering of Ramayana in songs or the Geet Ramayan in Marathi describing events from Ramayana, love, devotion and inspiration is drawn from Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram’s life by people across states and linguistic backgrounds.
In Maharashtra, folk theatre and Powada ballads celebrate the life and valour of Lord Ram. Interestingly, the Orchha town in Madhya Pradesh boasts a unique Raja Ram Temple where in a regal cultural twist, Lord Ram is revered as the King rather than a deity. In Gujarat where Rampagdandi, Pampa Lake, Rameshwar, and Unaal among other sites related to Lord Ram’s journey are situated, Lord Ram is worshipped and celebrated.
The Yakshagana of Karnataka and Kerala, Chhau mask dance and Jatra tradition of West Bengal and Odisha, Kathakali of Kerala and Dashavatara in Maharashtra are among the popular Indian folk dances representing Ramayana though not confined to representing Ramayana alone. The events of Ramayana are also depicted through puppet performances through Tolpava Koothu of Kerala, Tholu Bommalattam of Andhra Pradesh, and Togalu Gombeyatta of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
The journey and teachings of Bhagwan Ram and Maa Janaki (Sita) are ingrained in the living traditions of the sacred geography of the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana. In Tamil Nadu, the Kamba Ramayanam by 12th-century poet Kambar is a literary gem focusing on Lord Ram’s journey, his Dharma and the emotional aspect. In Tamil Nadu’s Rameshwaram, Lord Rama and Goddess Sita installed a Shivling while returning to Ayodhya after slaying Ravana in the great war in Lanka. Not to forget, it was in Rameshwaram where Lord Rama and the Vanar Sena built the Setu (bridge) to Lanka.
The Ramayana mentions that when Lord Ram was returning to India from Lanka, he sought to atone for the sin of killing a Brahmin (Ravan). In response, Lord Shiva advised him to install a Shivling and perform puja. Lord Ram then assigned Lord Hanuman the task of finding a Shivling on Mount Kailasa. However, when Lord Hanuman did not return on time, Goddess Sita used sand from the seashore to construct a Shivling.
The Tamil literature also celebrates Lord Ram. The Hindu god finds mentions in some of the earliest Tamil compositions like the Sangam Literature. The Purananuru, the Ahananuru and the Paripadal collection of verses mention various incidents of the Ramayana. Even the post-Sangam texts like Silappadhikaram and Manimekhalai also revolve around the incidents of Ramayana. The great Tamil dynasties, the Pallavas, Cholas and Pandyas, are known to have made endowments for the public exposition of Ramavataram also known as Kamba Ramayana (12th century). Even the 7th and 8th century Alvar and Nayannar saints also worshipped Lord Rama and to this day, despite the perpetual attacks on Hinduism and attempts to ‘eradicate’ Sanatan Dharma, the Hindus of Tamil Nadu continue to worship Lord Ram and take inspiration from his valorous and righteous life.
In the Telugu language, there are three main compositions of the Ramayana with the oldest being the 13th-century Ranganatha Ramayanam, the second being Bhaskara Ramayanam and the third Molla Ramayanam (15th century).
In Telangana, the Sri Seetha Ramachandraswamy Temple in Bhadrachalam dedicated to Bhagwan Ram and Mata Sita is famous for its grand celestial wedding ceremony, or Sri Sita Rama Kalyana Mahotsavam, performed on the occasion of Ram Navami. The ceremony attracts devotees in large numbers. Incidentally, Bhadrachalam is considered a Divya Kshetram (divine region) and is also called the Dakshina Ayodhya (the Ayodhya of the South).
The earliest available literary composition in Kannada is Kavirajamarga by Nripatunga in the 9th century. It contains references to earlier poets in addition to excerpts from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The earliest Ramayana in Kannada, however, was the Jain Chavundaraya Purana which is believed to have been composed in the 10th century. There are later versions of the Hindu epic that contributed towards the spread of Ram bhakti and united the Hindu community despite linguistic and regional differences.
Interestingly, Kerala observes Ramayana Masam in the Malayalam month of Karkdakam in sync with the Shravan Maas in north India. During this holy month, temples and many Hindu households in Kerala reverberate with the divine chants of “SreeRama, Rama! Rama!, Sree Ramachandra! Jaya, SreeRama!Rama!Rama! Sree Rama Bhadra! Jaya”, taken from Aadhyatma Ramayana, a Malayalam version of Valmiki Ramayana composed by Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan in the early 17th century.
In Kerala’s Kollam district, there is an iconic Jatayu Earth’s Center that hosts the world’s largest bird sculpture. Here the massive bird sculpture is of the divine bird Jatayu mentioned in Ramayana who bravely resisted demon king Ravana’s attempt to abduct Mata Sita on his Pushpak Vimana. The Centre also houses a temple dedicated to Lord Ram, a replica of the Palace of Janaka, the father of Goddess Sita. The legendary vulture king is believed to have attained martyrdom in Kerala’s Chadayamangalam.
Similarly, Karnataka’s Hampi is mentioned in Ramayana as Kishkindha or the monkey kingdom ruled by Sugriva. It was in Kishkindha that Lord Rama formed a pivotal alliance with King Sugriva and Lord Hanuman during exile. Kishkindha was the staging ground for the search for Mata Sita, marked by Lord Ram’s aid to Sugriva to defeat his brother Vali (Bali). Interestingly, Kishkindha’s landscape dotted with hills and caves mirrors the rocky and forested terrain description in Ramayana. To this day, Hampi or Kishkindha remains significant from both religious and historical perspectives.
One lesser-discussed aspect of Ramayana is its prevalence in northeast India. Ancient temples dedicated to Lord Ram were found in Assam’s Dhubri. The earliest mention of Shri Ram has been found in the 7th-century Dubi copper plate inscription of Bhaskarvarma which hails Lord Ram and his father King Dashrath. Even the Ahom kings patronised Hindu Dharma and issued land grants in the name of Lord Ram. There are many such inscriptions, temples and local traditions centred on Shri Ram’s worship, however, the Macaulay-ised education system coupled with the narrative of suppressing Hindu history pushed by leftist historians made the impact of Lord Ram on northeast India’s religious practices, traditions and literature nearly unnoticed.
North to South, East to West: Ramayana’s geographical span is as vast as the character and virtues of Lord Ram
The physical footprints of Ramayana are staggering. If one tracks it from North to South direction, it begins in Janakpur, Nepal, moves to Ayodhya, then traces the exile through Chitrakoot in Madhya Pradesh, Panchavati in Maharashtra’s Nashik, Kishkindha in Karnataka. With other major landmarks, the journey culminates in Tamil Nadu’s Rameshwaram and crosses the sea to Sri Lanka.
In January 2024, days before performing the consecration of Ram Lalla (Lord Ram in his child form), at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the representative Yajman undertook a journey to several temples states including Maharashtra, Andra Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. PM Modi essentially visited temples that were connected with the incidents of Ramayana, particularly, Lord Ram, Goddess Sita and Lakshman’s exile. PM Modi visited Panchvati in Nasik, Maharashtra. As per the Ramayana, Lord Rama and Sita stayed in Dandakaranya forest during the 14th year of their exile. This forest which spans modern-day parts of central and eastern India, roughly covering areas of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra was back then filled with both sages and demons. Goddess Sita was abducted by demon king Ravana from Panchavati in Dandakaranya.
From Panchavati, PM Modi headed southwards to Lepakshi ( Telugu word meaning Rise! Oh bird) in Andhra Pradesh as it is believed that Lord Rama had commanded an injured Jatayu to rise.
Subsequently, PM Modi visited the Triprayar Sree Ramaswamy temple in Kerala’s Thrissur. The temple has a unique worship done with the bursting of crackers called ‘vedi vazhipadu’ which is performed to commemorate the return of Hanuman from Lanka after he met Sita and brought her ornament. It is said that after Lord Rama killed the demon Khara, he attained both the Shaiva and Vaishnava aspects here. After this, PM Modi visited Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam in Tamil Nadu’s Trichy in January 2024. As per Ramayana, the temple finds mention after Shri Ram had slayed Ravan. It is believed that here Shri Ram gave Vibhishan his own dynasty’s Aradhana Murthy which is an idol of the reclining Vishnu. Lord Ram had warned Vibhishan that if he kept the idol anywhere on the ground during his travel, the idol would become permanently fixed there, however, Vibhishan failed to successfully take the idol to Lanka and it became permanently fixed in Kerala’s Thrissur. Centuries later, a Chola king Dharmavarma rediscovered the idol and established the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple.
PM Modi also visited Rameshwaram’s Kothandaramaswamy Temple in Dhanushkodi dedicated to Lord Rama with a bow. It is believed that here, after the war, used his bow and arrow to break the Ram Setu and later performed Vibhishan’s coronation there. PM Modi had visited all major temples that fall under the Ramayana circuit before reaching Ayodhya just as Lord Ram, Mata Sita and Lakshman did, and performed the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla in the Ram Janambhoomi Temple.
The presence of ancient temples, traditions, folklores, festivals and scriptures across regions, languages and cultures celebrating the journey of Lord Ram shows that every Indian state claims a piece, a share in God’s Leela making Lord Ram a literal and metaphorical bridge across the Indian subcontinent.
Rama beyond Bharat
The unifying “thread” Prime Minister Modi referred Lord Ram as, extends beyond India into Southeast Asia, where the Ramayana though with its core elements preserved, gets a local touch. In Thailand, Ramakein is a national epic, with Lord Ram (Phra Ram) as a valorous king. This Thai version of Ramayana is performed in the elaborate Khon masked dance.
Similarly, Indonesia’s Kakawin Ramayana has a blend of Hindu and Buddhist traditions and is performed through Wayang Kulit shadow puppetry symbolising Lord Ram as the epitome of virtue.
In Cambodia, Reamker (Glory of Rama), a local version of Ramayana is designated as the national epic and its incidents are beautifully performed through local dance forms.
Malaysia has a Malay adaptation of Ramayana named Hikayat Seri Rama. This is not a direct translation of Valmiki Ramayana rather it incorporates the elements of both Hindu and Islamic mythology.
Similarly, Laos and Myanmar also have their own poetic versions of Phra Lak Phra Lam and Yama Zatdaw respectively.
Ram: The soul of a civilisation
Indeed, Lord Ram is the “common thread” unifying Bharat as a civilisation. Bhagwan Ram is the heartbeat of our civilisation that thrives on its diversity. From the rugged forests of Dandakaranya to the vibrant Kishkindha, Lord Ram’s story, his journey stitches the Indic civilisation together echoing in the “Ram Ram” greetings of the north, the temples bells of the south and the beautiful renditions of Ramayana in Indic languages, play, puppetry and dance performances and its adaptations in Southeast Asian countries.
Bhagwan Ram is not only a historical figure, but a living bridge, linking past to present, region to region, heart to heart, soul to soul. His journey is retold in countless languages, and myriad dance forms, his glory sung in various musical forms, from his birth to marriage, and exile, his valour and virtue are all celebrated in every corner of Bharat. Goswami Tulsidas ji wrote this chaupai (quatrain),
हरि अनंत हरि कथा अनंता।
कहहिं सुनहिं बहुबिधि सब संता॥
रामचंद्र के चरित सुहाए।
कलप कोटि लगि जाहिं न गाए॥
This means that Hari (Lord Vishnu) is infinite (no one can surpass him) and his story (Katha) is also infinite. All the saints tell and listen to him in many ways. The beautiful character of Ramchandra cannot be sung even in millions of Kalpas (cosmic cycle). Prime Minister Modi was absolutely correct when he called Lord Ram as the common thread, as only the infinite, the supreme, the unsurpassable Lord Ram could be the unifying force that binds such a vast and diverse kaleidoscope of cultures, traditions, languages, regionalities and people together.
