Did you know that Lord Ram had an elder sister? Why did Kaikeyi ask for Lord Ram to be exiled only for 14 years? How did the city of Nasik get its name? Did you know the common thread that links Lord Ram and Gautam Buddha? For centuries, The Ramayana has been touted as India’s most celebrated Text, the itihas, that has shaped the collective consciousness of the whole nation. However, despite being deeply rooted in the culture, there continues to be a surfeit of lesser-known stories that exist around Ramayana. Ahead of the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami, Legends of the Ramayana with Amish, premiering April 7 on discovery+ India, revisits the sacred geography of one of the greatest stories in the world, narrated by bestselling award-winning writer and diplomat, Amish Tripathi – renowned for penning down the Shiva Trilogy and the Ram Chandra Series. 

The three-part show traverses 5000 kilometres, deep-diving into ancient stories and myths around Ramayana. Amish Tripathi decodes intriguing information that has continued to exist around Ramayana for millennia, inspiring faith, philosophies and lifestyles across India and beyond. Featuring stunning visuals, the docuseries produced by Wide Angle Films unfolds the mystery around Lord Ram’s thrilling Ayana (journey).

Enriched with well-researched contributions and expert comments, the series features Yatindra Mishra (Prince of Ayodhya), Kavita Kane (Author), award-winning Hydrogeologist Ritesh Arya, Sunela Jayawardene (Environmental Architect and Author), Krishna Devaraya, (Descendent, Vijayanagara Dynasty), Shashi Dhanatunge, (Former Vice Chairperson, Civil Aviation Authority, Sri Lanka) amongst others. Mapping myth with geology, customs and belief, Tripathi travels to key locations across India and Sri Lanka to piece the journey together, whilst bringing alive history and showcasing the rich cultures, social diversities and landscapes in each of the regions. 

Amish Tripathi said, “Ramayan is the proud heritage of every single Indian, regardless of religion, caste, language or gender. And I discovered the truth of this feeling even more as we shot this documentary. There were so many lesser-known stories and traditions that we discovered, some genuinely surprising. What an honour it has been, to travel with the wonderful team of Discovery and Wide Angle Films, as we followed the path that was trod many millennia ago, by our God, Lord Ram Himself. It was enlightening, it was fun, it was surreal.”

Megha Tata, Managing Director, South Asia, Discovery, Inc. said, “Indian mythology is the melting pot of the most magnificent stories and ideas, yet largely under-explored. Ramayana continues to appeal to audiences across ages. While there have been multiple iterations of the epic, we identified the opportunity to dig deeper to present a unique discovery+ Original series with interesting details that are less spoken of. Legends of The Ramayana with Amish marks our foray into mythological fiction and brings alive a part of our cultural heritage through expert opinions that exist across Indian geography.” 

Legends of the Ramayana with Amish is produced by award-winning production house Wide Angle Films. The series is co-directed by Sujata Kulshreshtha and Abhimanyu Tewari.