Ravana is the antagonist of the famous Hindu epic Ramayana. He was the son of sage Vishrava and Rakshasi Kaikesi. He was the greatest Demon king of Treta Tuga, whose atrocities made even God descend on earth as a human and end his tyranny. He is perceived as a worshipper of Lord Shiva and carries a curved blade, called Chandrahaas, which was gifted to him by Shiva himself. He had 10 heads and 20 arms and had knowledge of a variety of weapons. The ten heads metaphorically refer to his mastery over a vast amount of knowledge, which couldn't be limited to a single head. Not just warfare, he was skilled in other areas like politics, architecture, music, etc. He had even the nine planets, which influence people's fate, under his control. He is even worshipped and revered by some people across India as a devotee of Shiva. He kidnapped Sita, the wife of Lord Ram, which was his major mistake and sin. After this, Ram and Ravana fought an epic battle, which is very well documented in the Ramayana. It was on the day of Dusshera, or Vijay Dashmi, that Ram killed Ravana. To this day, people burn effigies of Ravana to celebrate this victory of good over evil.

Artwork by @shadesofdharma