Rama went on a quest to get Sita back. If you recall, Lanka was located on an island; Rama had no way to get there. However, I could not help him out with a chariot; so, we had to find a new way to help Rama get there. I called for help from my son, Nala. Nala was a vanara, or monkey, who was one of the best engineers of his time. I'm very proud of many of his inventions. However, his most important invention was a structure that was vital for Rama's quest to get Sita back.

When Rama was on his quest to get Sita back, he met Sugriva. Sugriva was a vanara who served as king, and he enlisted my son Nala to construct a bridge for Rama. Nala utilized many vanara and bears, who were led by Jambavan, to construct the bridge. Nala planned a structurally sound bridge out of limestone blocks after consulting with me about the design. The bridge could support the weight of Rama's army and was protected against deterioration from wind or wave action because the bridge was solid and had no spans - the bridge was essentially a solid wall. Nala did so good with the design of the bridge that it can still be seen today. The bridge lasted above water until the 15th century when a storm much larger than we had expected destroyed parts of the bridge. The bridge can still be crossed, but is covered by water up to three feet in depth.

Rama and his army successfully crossed Nala's bridge into Lanka to wind up in front of the looming, golden fortifications of Lanka. When Rama saw Lanka, he felt fear. He knew that it would be very difficult to raid the city successfully. He needed some firepower.

Rama prayed for more firepower, and Indra answered his prayers. Indra sent Rama one of my chariots, one of my weapons, and some of my armor that I made for Indra. The chariot was constructed of gold and had bells so that any bystanders would know they were witnessing Indra's chariot. The weapon was named Vajra, and was one of my most powerful weapons I have ever created. It is even stronger than modern-day weapons such as nuclear bombs. Vajra was indestructible and could shoot very powerful thunderbolts. Anyone who faced off against it was doomed. Rama now had the advantage in a battle with Ravana.

Ravana and Rama squared off in an aerial battle after countless lives were taken by each side. Ravana was mounted on Pushpaka, and Rama was mounted on Indra's chariot. Rama was armed with Vajra, and Ravana was armed with Varunastra. After a long back and forth battle, Ravana was slain by my weapon and chariot.

Following Ravana's death, Rama had to determine what he'd do with Lanka and Pushpaka. Rama initially used Pushpaka to return Sita and his companions back to Ayodhya. The victors got to take a ride in my great chariot and behold its magical powers. Then, Rama returned Pushpaka and Lanka to the rightful owner, Kubera. My inventions were back in the correct hands, and peace was achieved once again. The gods could finally have peace again, and I learned my lesson about creating weapons too powerful for mortals.

Author's Note

I wrote this story to try to tie everything together from my previous two stories. I really tried to draw from the previous stories I wrote as everything built into this story. I referenced my stories about Pushpaka and closed that story by mentioning that it was returned to Kubera. I discussed how Lanka was so intimidating that Rama had to borrow celestial weapons to compete with Ravana. I wanted the reader to get a sense that almost every object used within the Ramayana was somehow tied to Vishvakarma. I also wanted to convey the amount of power that all of Vishvakarma's inventions.

I used multiple sources to combine into one story. I retained accuracy and tried to teach a little bit about geography of India by tying this story into actual geography (Adam's Bridge) in India. The bridge is still there today, and is actually made of limestone. The bridge is believed to have been complete above ground until the 15th century. However, a giant storm wiped out the bridge and now up to three feet of water covers the bridge in parts.

This was the final story of the storybook. This storybook has been a retelling of the Ramayana from Vishvakarma's point of view, and I hope it inspires readers to rethink the amount of detail in the Ramayana and other Indian mythology that they read!

Bibliography

"Adam's Bridge". Wikipedia. Source

"Nala". Wikipedia. Source

"Indra" Wikipedia. Source

Kubera: The Lord of Wealth published by Amar Chitra Katha Vol. 839 [Online]

Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie