This is a well-preserved manuscript of the Ramayana epic written in Marathi – a language which originated from Sanskrit and spoken in Maharashtra. There are only twelve pages in total. Of these, only two are illustrated, one illustrates Sitakalyanam, the marriage of Rama and Sita while the other shows Ramapattabhishekam, Rama’s coronation. These were the most popular themes in South India. The manuscript is based on Valmiki's version of the Ramayana. The text is in prose with descriptive similies and phrases.Before manuscripts like this were written, Ramayana was transmitted orally from teacher to student. The tale existed in the form of shared culture between many stratas of the Indian society and emerged prominently in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious mythology.
