‘Will tell Ram war against Ravan not yet over’

*When Lord Ram comes back,he would be astonished to see all the changes – palaces replaced by sky-high hotels and flying chariots by aeroplanes. He would undoubtedly find the cellphone and computer the most amazing among the wonders of the modern world. When Lord Ram orders me to get his chariot,I would politely open the back door of his Lamborghini. When he asks where the charioteer is,I will introduce myself as one. I will,for sure,love driving Lord Ram around! On the way,he would be astonished by the number of people visiting his temple. After having refreshments,we will go do some shopping – so Lord Ram can buy all the clothes required by a 21st Century man. Then,before I can pay the bills, he would present the cashier with gold coins. After dissuading him,I would make him aware of thieves,crooks and the need to keep his gold behind lock and key. Next,we would catch a train to Ayodhya from the New Delhi railway station,from where my friend can become the guide.

Sandeep Sancheti,X- A The Indian School,Sadiq Nagar

Whenever we think of ancient times,the first image to come to our mind is of greenery and a pollution-free environment,which cannot be found now. If Lord Ram were to land in the 21st Century after a long Vanvaas,I in my capacity as his guide would enthrall him by showing him the magic of modern times. I would make him speak to his father,King Dashrath,through a cell phone or web-chat. I will take him through all spiral flyovers and underground Metro trains,offer the Lord pizzas and burgers to eat,and surprise him by bringing to his notice the modern version of the pawan rath – the aeroplane! As a preventive measure against swine flu,I will also ask him to wear a mask. In the end,I would take him to my grandmother,who is one of the greatest of his devotees, and together,we will bow our heads and request in prayer that he make the world free of evil. After all,he knows everything… God is great!!

Komal Gautam,VIII A Apeejay School,Saket

*What a privilege to be a guide of Lord Ram! It will be my humble duty to guide him through the present state of affairs. First,it will be the turn of temples,where his ‘darshans’ come at a price. With the help of video clips and emails (please note,we don’t use paper anymore),I will show Lord Ram godmen who boast of having seen him! I will show him how the ten-headed Ravan was killed,only to have his evil spirit distributed evenly,making him appear million-headed now. To show him the level of our technological advancement,I shall take him to the movie Apocalypse 2012 and brief him on the end of the world. But then,how stupid it would be for me to tell the Creator how the world is going to end!

Shubham Mittal,XII D Hillgrove Public School,Safdarjung Enclave

*First and foremost,I would bow my head,touch his feet and say: “Lord Ram,it is but my duty to update you on the transformation of the milieu. In Ayodhya,many disputes are on. During your exile,you might have noticed that our forests are depleting day by day. Many new structures,mining sites and colonies are coming up in their place due to our greed. Forests are vanishing and,as a result,there are many environmental hazards and problems related to pollution. But,on the positive side,easy transportation is available in the form of vehicles,and wars can now be fought with guns and missiles. And,if you want to have a word with Sita mata,all you would have to do is dial a number on your cellphone. So,please check out the changes across the globe and take steps to rectify them. The world changed for the worse while you were away,but it may change for the better now that you are back again.”

Sakshi Bhadana,X D Cambridge School,Noida

*Being Lord Ram’s guide for the 21st Century would be a tough task. But it would be even tougher for Shri Ram to accept these changes,as not many things from his age still remain. Once that sinks in,I will give a brief report on India’s long history starting from the life of early kings,to the Mughals and then moving on to the British regime. Then,I would brief him on the Independence and Partition and lastly on the interesting place that India has become today. After he has understood how India acquired its new shape,I will start informing him about today’s lifestyle – food,clothes,houses,etc. As he would be very simple,Lord Ram will take time adjusting. But making him one of us would be part of my duty. He will be happy to know that we have progressed and made transportation and communication much easier. Sadly,I will have to tell him that the war against Ravana has not ended yet. Still,there are many evils such as terrorism,corruption,global warming,greed and social intolerance left to be fought with. Then,to lighten his mood, I will take him to a movie hall or mall to have fun. In the end,I just hope he doesn’t say that he would rather return to Vanvaas!!

Suramya Agrwal,IX C St. Mary’s School,Safdarjung Enclave

*Wow! If Lord Rama were to come back to the present era and I get the chance to guide him (he is God himself and I think he knows about everything already),I will show him all the modern things he missed while he was away. First of all,it would be necessary for me to tell him how to cross the roads and brief him on traffic rules as chariots have become obsolete and fast cars rule our concrete roads. He would have to be guided on how to use mobile phones,television remotes and – of course – the all-encompassing Internet. Though our world has progressed scientifically,we have lost considerable ground on the humanity front. While there was only one Ravan during his time,today there are so many more – wandering through our society and trying to fulfil their evil plans through hook or crook. Only science has progressed,not Man. I will show him how to use machines,especially the ones that work for the betterment of mankind.

Rahul Kumar Yadav,IX D Modern Vidya Niketan,Faridabad

*It would take me almost two hours to tell Lord Ram what’s going on. And by the end of it,I will ensure that the confused look on his face changes to that of excitement. “Guide me through the 21st Century,” he would say. First I would go get the Lord some 21st Century clothes. And I could bet on the fact that he will look really handsome in the Armani suit I pick for him.

If he were to be surprised by the computer at home,I would explain to him what the “black box” (according to him) is all about. I will then create a Facebook account for him. At night,when I get really tired,Lord Ram would be wide awake — his desire to sit and chat still going strong. He would tell me about his stay in the jungle. Were I to come down with a bout of migraine,Lord Ram would put his hand on my head once…only once,and my migraine will vanish forever – after all,he is God and there is nobody like him.

Akshi Nitin,X-A The Indian School,Sadiq Nagar

*I would love to guide Lord Ram through the country a few years in the future – in 2050! First I will change his dressing style and make a movie titled Ramayan 2050. I would then take him to a five-star hotel to rest,and pay the bills (no matter how big they are) because he wouldn’t have any idea about modern money. I will then tell him that there is no need to create a bridge between Lanka and India to find Sita as we now have jet-powered aeroplanes and rockets. Contacting her would also be easy,now that we have emails and cellphones. I will learn archery from him and win gold medals in the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics. I would also take the Lord to Ayodhya in a flying car and ask him to dispel all the misunderstandings prevailing there. Lord Ram is God,and I would be more than honoured to show him around the country.

Nikhil chadha,VIII E Cambridge School,Indirapuram