"The Ramayana has been the perennial source of spiritual, cultural, and artistic inspiration for thousands of years, not only to the people of India but also to the people of South-East Asian countries. It has enriched the national literatures of these countries, and has also provided themes for every form of their art - dance, drama, music, painting and sculpture. Its heroic characters have helped to mould the Hindu character; and its three great personalities namely, Rama, Sita and Hanuman, have inspired millions of her people, high or low in the socio-economic scale, with the deepest, tenderest, and holiest love, reverence, and devotion." -- Foreword.