Rāma is an incarnation of Vishnu, one of the great gods of Hinduism. According to Vishnu’s votaries, the god sends his incarnations into the world to restore social, political and moral order when civilisation is threatened.

Rāma was born a prince in the north Indian city of Ayodhyā. After marriage he was forced into exile with his wife Sītā. While living in the forest, she was abducted by Ravana, a demon, who carried her away to Sri Lanka. Rāma raised an army and launched an expedition, assisted by his brother Lakshmana and Hanumān, his monkey general. A great war ensued in which Rāma killed Ravana and recovered his wife. He eventually returned to Ayodhyā to take the throne.

The story of Rāma is celebrated in the Rāmāyana, a Sanskrit text that enjoyed wide circulation. Versions of the narrative inspired festivals and works in the vernacular languages of India. The Rāma story was also depicted in narrative sculpture on the walls of temples, especially in south India. A popular focus of religious devotion, Rāma also served as a political metaphor for the kings of Vijayanagara in the Deccan who, in their wars with the Deccan sultanates in 1565, saw themselves as similarly facing the forces of evil.