The Ramayana is one of Hinduism's two great epics and was composed about two and a half thousand years ago. It remains vital in the Indian imagination, yielding a rich cultural vocabulary of images, ideals, and social values. The Ramayana tells the story of a young prince, Rama, who is unjustly exiled into the forest by his step mother. His lovely wife, Sita, and his loyal brother go with him and away from the city, the three encounter strange and dangerous creatures. Sita is abducted by a ten-headed demon and Rama makes an alliance with magical monkeys to fight a war and win her back.