RATNAPANI

 He is the Bodhisatwa of Dhyani Buddha Ratna Sambhava. He is green in colour, holds the jewel in the right hand and the disc of the moon on lotus in the left hand. 

RASUWA

This is the most remote district of Bagmati zone which is also a famous trekking destination of many tourists. Famous Gosaikunda lake and many others are in this district. Mostly inhabited by Tamangs and other Tibeto-mongolian ethnic groups of people, this district is also spotted by Buddhist monasteries and religious festivities. Population of this district is......

RARA LAKE

Rara lake of Jumla district of Karnali zone is the biggest and most beautiful lake, but because of its location at a difficult point, it still remains out of approach for many. It is situated at an altitude of 9780 ft. from sea level and the area is about 4 square miles. 

RAPTI ZONE

 Area: 3913 square miles. Population: One of the 14 zones of Nepal, this zone is surrounded by karnali and Dhaulagiri zones on the north, Nepal-India border of the south, Dhaulagiri and Lumbini zones on the south and Bheri zone on the east. This zone is situated in the mountain regions and inner Terai. Rapti is the name of a vast dun of the inner Terai of this zone. Bheri, Saryu an Rapti (river) are the principal rivers. Cattle breeding and sheep rearing are also popular profession apart from cultivation. Potatoes, millet, barley, various kinds of fruits, rice and sugarcane are some of the products of this zone. Transport facilities are not yet better, but by all means ginger, rice, ghee, fruits and herbs are exported to India from here. 

RANA, JUNG BAHADUR

 Shrewd and sagacious Jung Bahadur Rana was a self made man who started as an humble soldier and ended as the powerful maharaja (All powerful prime minister) of Nepal. Rana autocracy, thus, started with him by overshadowing the then sovereign Shah kings of Nepal. King Rajendra Bikram Shah was in the throne at that time. But, in actual practice his queen was virtually exercising all of his powers. It is believed that she had always favoured someone known to be her  beloved one. His name is Gagan Singh and that he was murdered by some one strategically at his own residence. That event caused much anger of the queen and as a result the famous Kot massacre took place in the year 1946 BS in which 55 nobilities and high officials lost their lives at the hands of Jung Bahadur Rana. After that Jung Bahadur took over virtually every power from the King and ruled like a dictator. 

RANA AUTOCRACY

 After the rise of Jung Bahadur Rana, specially after the notorious and cruel episode of massacre known as  Kot Parba,  in which he and his kins beheaded many high ranking officials and nobilities of Nepal in the year 1846 as a result of which he became all powerful prime-minister by overshadowing the king himself, family autocracy of Ranas began. Hereditary premiership of the Ranas lasted for 104 years until a massive uprising and revolution of the people overthrew that regime and  made an end of the autocratic rule. That period is known for stagnation of the country’s progress because of family oriented approach and suppression of the people.  Virtually no remarkable progress had been made in that period in Nepal. People were exploited in many ways for the benefit of the ruling Rana family. 

RAM NAVAMI

 Ram Navami is the birthday of Rama or Ram Chandra. It falls on the ninth day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra. This day people go to temples of Rama to pay homage to him. A special ceremony that takes place at Janakpur in eastern Nepal is attended by thousands of people every year. Also see Ramayana. This occasion is celebrated for two days as Chaitra Dasain and that Ramanawami happens to be on the second day.  This festival of Dasain is celebrated only for two days whereas the main or bigger Dasain known as Bada Dasain, is celebrated for ten long days during autumn season. Chaitra Dasain is also known as Basanti which means related to the season of Spring as it falls in Spring season. As the spring always inspires human soul to appreciate the glory of god and experience the fullness of life, it has direct linkage with this festival days. According to a holy Hindu texts, Devi or Shakti manifested herself on this day in her most celestial form. So Chaitra Dasain is an auspicious day to worship Devi with great devotion and faith. Rama, the most ideal Hindu god-king is also believed to have obtained all the merits by dint of his sincere devotion to Devi.  According to another traditional belief Rama had killed Ravana  9th day of Chaitra month that is the second day of the festival. That is why this day became widely known as Ramanawami day.

Symbolic interpretation and the popular belief as such about Rama’s incarnation is quite interesting and thought provoking. According to this belief, Rama is the personification of Dharma or the righteousness. Nothing for him is as important as Dharma or the noble deeds. He was the symbol of great feats and performances, of the great fights for the right causes, an ideal person in terms of character and in fulfillment of all promises at all times. Thus, he is also known as Maryada Purusottam Rama, meaning the highly honourable and most perfect person in whom Divinity met Humanity with all of its majestic flavors. In other way, Rama is regarded as a symbol of Eternity or Supreme Brahmah and Sita as Shakti or Primordial Power. Shakti as law of Nature always activates the eternal Purusha or person represented by Rama. It must be remembered how Rama got upset and wandered around in the jungle in search of Sita when he came to know that Sita was abducted by the demon king Ravana. The representation of the  event to illustrate the  basic idea on inseparable linkage of  Purusha or the personality with Prakriti or the nature or divinity around him which is the main source of creative energy. The war he fought with the ten-headed demon king Ravana symbolizes his untiring efforts to conquer over ten sense organs comprising of five knowledge related and five action related senses. 

RAMECHHAP

 This is a district of Janakpur zone which has road link from Kathmandu through Kavre, Sindhupalchowk and Dolakha districts.and airlink from Kathmandu. Manthali is the headquarters of the district which has a population of approximately 212408 

RAMAYANA

Ramayana is the oldest epic in Sanskrit language written by the sage, Balmiki. Popularly believed to have been composed about five centuries B.C., it has been a most familiar text in every Hindu household. Rama, the protagonist of this epic is also known as the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The Ramayana explains in great detail the life and love of Rama which is presented with a view to portrait and ideal life. It gives Rama’s boyhood, youth and his love with Sita, his adventures and marriage, the abduction of Sita by Ravana. Later, war breaks between Rama and Ravana during which Rama was very much helped by Hanuman and his monkey allies. The story of Ramayana ends in the destruction of the demon king Ravana and his empire, the rescue of Sita and the restoration of Rama to the throne of Ayodhya. Later Rama banished Sita out of jealousy and also due to suspicion the people had about her chastity.However, at the Hermitage of Balmiki Sita resided for sometime where she gave birth to her twin sons Lava and Kusha. One fine morning Rama discovered his sons and also recalled Sita whose innocence he realised with regret, but unfortunately he only got to know that she had already surrendered herself to the womb of the mother earth and thus relieved herself from the worldly life span.  

Rama was the son of king Dasarath of Ayodhya who had three wives. Rama was the son of his eldest queen Kausalya. He had three younger brothers namely, Laxman, Bharat and Satrughana. Due to tricky moves of his youngest stepmother Kaikeyi,  he had to give up the throne and pass exiled life in a forest for 14 years. His wife Sita and his brother Laxman had also accompanied him. The abduction  of Sita by Ravana took place during the same period. 

The Ramayana is written in seven sections and is known to have been written in fifty-five thousand lines. The seven sections are as follows:- 

1. Bal Kanda- About the boyhood of Rama. 

2. Ayodhya Kanda- Description of Ayodhya and the banishment of Rama by his father at the instance of kaikeyi. 

3. Aranya Kanda- Life of Rama in the forest and the rape of Sita by Ravana. 

4. Kishkindhya Kanda- About Rama’s stay at Kishkindhya, the capital of his alley Sugrib, the king of monkeys. 

5. Sundar Kanda- About the marvelous passage of the straits by Rama and his allies to reach Ceylon (Lanka) the kingdom of Ravana. 

6. Yuddha Kanda- About the war of Rama with Ravana, victory in war, recovery of Sita, coronation of Rama etc. 

7. Uttar Kanda- About Rama’s life in Ayodhya banishment of Sita, her death, finding of sons by Rama etc. 

RAMA

Rama, also known as Ram Chandra, the ideal son of King Dasaratha, is the central figure of the great epic Ramayana. He is known as the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The main purpose of this incarnation was to destroy the ten headed Rakshas known as Ravana of Lanka or Ceylon along with many other blood thirsty demons so as to establish an empire of love and truth instead of all evils.