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The squirrel and the bridge: Ranganatha's stripe origin

Variant

The three stripes on the palm squirrel go back to a Telugu poet's addition.

Ranganatha's Telugu Ramayana (1300-1310, in Dwipada) adds a squirrel that rolls in sand and carries it to the bridge stones. Rama blesses it and draws three lines on its back, the origin of squirrel stripes. The episode is not in Valmiki. Ranganatha also moves Manthara's entry to the Bala Kanda, where Rama injures her knee with a stick.

Who: Squirrel, Rama, Ranganatha

Bound to

Molla Ramayanam: a potter-poet's Telugu Ramayana located-at

Places: Andhra Pradesh, Rameswaram (tradition)

Where this comes from

• regional-literary · Wikipedia: Ranganatha Ramayanamu

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