Ravana

Ravana
Statue of Ravana from 18th century CE
Consort	Mandodari Dhanyamalini
Parents	Vishrava (father) Kaikesi (mother)
Siblings	Kumbhakarna, Vibhishana (brothers) Surpanakha (sister) Kubera (half-brothers)
Children	Sita (unauthenticated) Indrajit Atikaya Akshayakumara Narantaka Devantaka Trishira Prahasta

Ravana (IAST: Rāvaṇa; /ˈrɑːvənə/;Sanskrit: रावण) is the primary antagonist in the Hindu mythological tale as told in the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana where he is depicted as Rakshasa (demon) king of Lanka.

Ravana, a devotee of Lord Shiva, is depicted and described as a great scholar, a capable ruler and a maestro of the veena (plucked stringed instrument). He is also described as extremely powerful and has ten heads. His paramount ambition was to overpower and dominate the devas. His ten heads represent his knowledge of the six shastras and the four Vedas. In the Ramayana, Ravana kidnaps Rama's wife Sita to exact vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the ears and nose of his sister Shurpanakha.

Ravana, as a practitioner of Buddhism, is a major character in Buddhist texts such as the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra and the Gathering of Intentions, a text of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Ravana is worshipped by Hindus in some parts of India, Sri Lanka and Bali (in Indonesia.) He is considered to be the most revered devotee of Shiva. Images of Ravana are seen associated with Shiva at some places.