Hinduism · Texts & transmission
Tulsidas begins the Ramcharitmanas
1574 CE
Tulsidas began his Awadhi retelling of Rama’s story in Ayodhya. The Ramcharitmanas became a major work of devotional literature in northern India. Its composition continued beyond this starting point; scholarship generally associates its completion with Varanasi, without establishing a precise finishing date.
Why it matters
A regional language could carry an expansive sacred narrative to audiences beyond Sanskrit scholarship, enriching the relationship between poetry, devotion, and performance.
About the date
Date of commencement given in the poem; completion date is uncertain.
Ayodhya
City where composition began, according to the text’s own dating.
city orientation
See on the map →