Reading Notes: Tiny Tales from the Ramayana, Section C

Notes:

I am really enjoying the tales of Hanuman so far. During this section of the Ramayana, one of Hanuman's stories really stuck out to me. It was the one where Suvannamacha creatures destroyed the half-completed bridge Rama and the others needed to get to Lanka. I really found this story interesting. I would change the part of when Hanuman goes to the palace and finds a mermaid by the name of Suvannamacha there. I would make the setting as soon as he sets foot into the palace, time stops on the surface. Suvannamacha of course agrees to help Hanuman but not before falling in love with him. Since time does not move until Hanuman leaves the palace, he decided to stay with Suvannamacha down there for a little while. Suvannamacha ultimately gets pregnant with Hanuman's son who would later be known as Macchanu. Hanuman and Suvannamacha raise him together until he 14 years and finds out about his dad's promise to help Rama. Knowing that he still has to fulfill his duty to Rama, he tells Suvannamacha that it is time to help restore the bridge. With a quick goodbye, Hanuman leaves Suvannamacha and Macchanu alone to go fulfill his duty. Suvannamacha hopes that one day he will come back. I feel like this would be a fun twist to this tale because it would be like a romance story. 

Another tale that I found to be quite interesting was when Ravana summoned a magician and told that magician to conjure up the head of Rama. Instead of Sita grieving, she straight asked Ravana to kill her so she could be reunited with Rama. The plan did not go accordingly because Ravana thought Sita would come to her "senses" apparently. I could make this a Romeo and Juliet scene where Sita could say "If I cannot be with Rama, then no one can have me." I have always been a fan of Romeo and Juliet, although it constantly makes me upset. I know it is not much of a change but sometimes it is fun to do subtle changes to the story and not change the whole thing.

An image of Hanuman and Suvannamacha together (Source: Wikipedia)

Bibliography: Tiny Tales from the Ramayana, Laura Gibbs