How Did Ravana Get Lanka? The Divine Legends Behind The Golden City

Dussehra celebrations always bring back stories of Ravana. We all know his kingdom in the Ramayana was a magnificent and wealthy city. People called it the Golden Lanka for a reason. But do you know how Ravana actually got this city of gold?

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Two popular stories explain this

Mythology gives us two very popular stories about Lanka. The first story talks about Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It explains the grand construction of Lanka and how Ravana entered the picture. The second story connects to Kubera. He was the stepbrother of Ravana. Kubera originally controlled Lanka and the divine flying chariot called Pushpaka Vimana.

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Vishwakarma built it for Shiva

Legend says Goddess Parvati once asked Lord Shiva for a magnificent palace. Lord Shiva then gave this job to Vishwakarma. He is the divine architect of the gods. Vishwakarma built a breathtaking city right in the middle of the ocean. Everyone praised its beauty. He decorated the entire city with pure gold. People later called it the Golden Lanka.

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How did Ravana get it

Lord Shiva invited Ravana to the housewarming ceremony of this grand palace. People knew Ravana as a brilliant scholar and a massive devotee of Lord Shiva. Ravana performed the main religious ceremony. The sheer beauty of Lanka mesmerized him. He directly asked Lord Shiva to give him the golden city as a return gift. Lord Shiva happily granted his wish. Goddess Parvati got extremely angry about this. She immediately cursed the future of Lanka.

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The story connects to Kubera

The second major story links Ravana to his stepbrother Kubera. The Ramayana describes Kubera as the son of Sage Vishrava. People worship Kubera as the god of wealth. Kubera originally ruled Lanka and owned the divine Pushpaka Vimana. Ravana performed intense penance and gained massive power. He then wanted to expand his empire. Ravana defeated Kubera in a fierce battle and took full control of Lanka. He also captured the Pushpaka Vimana.

Lanka became an incredibly rich and powerful city under his rule. Lord Hanuman later saw this wealth during the Sundarakanda chapter. The grand palaces and decorations completely amazed Hanuman. Ravana turned Lanka into the ultimate center of power. However, his decision to abduct Goddess Sita eventually destroyed his life and the golden city.