Seventh Season of Animated Series 'The Legend of Hanuman' Announced for OTT; Ravana's Finale Expected

While Nimit Malhotra is investing 40 billion rupees in creating a live-action version of Ramayana with Ranbir Kapoor, the trailer for the animated 'Ramayana: Path of Dharma' has recently been released. This project emerged against the backdrop of the recent release of 'Ramayana' featuring Anjali Arora, whose visuals received mixed reactions from viewers.

The animated series 'Ramayana: Path of Dharma' was presented by a studio named 'Path of Wonders'. The released trailer pertains to the first episode of this series. Although the plot is based on the classic Ramayana, it will be depicted from the perspective of modern youth.

The trailer begins with a child who, after reading the Ramayana, starts seeing the story of Lord Rama in his dreams and sets out to explore it. This is followed by a scene showing only the silhouettes of huge arms, legs, and the tail of Hanuman lifting the Sanjeevani mountain. Then, the image of Lord Rama preparing to leave his kingdom for the forest is demonstrated, as he intends to fulfill a promise made to his father.

Mata Sita and Lakshman also decide to accompany him. After this, a voiceover plays, narrating how he voluntarily left the throne, which slipped away like sand, but fully kept the vow made to his father.

'Ramayana: Path of Dharma' is voiced by many renowned Indian artists. As of now, the release date of the series has not been announced. However, viewers reacted to the trailer with great enthusiasm, considering this version significantly superior to the 'Ramayana' with Anjali Arora. Viewers liked both the musical score and the visuals. Many even noted that this project touched their hearts more than 'Ramayana' Ramananga Saagara.

The festival of Radha Ashtami in 2026 is celebrated today, September 19, 2026. This day is dedicated to celebrating the appearance of Radha Rani. Radha Ashtami falls on Ashtami Tithi in the Bhadrapada month, during the Shukla lunar half. This festival is also known as Radhika Ashtami or Radha Jayanti, and on this day, worship is performed for Radha and Krishna. Special enthusiasm during this celebration is observed in Barsana, Mathura, and Vrindavan.

According to the Panchang, the Ashtami Tithi of Bhadrapada Shukla began on September 18 at 13:02. This date will conclude on September 19 at 15:28. Since the Ashtami Tithi is present on September 19 during sunrise, Radha Ashtami this year is celebrated on September 19, Saturday, based on the sunrise date.

For the worship of Radha Rani on Radha Ashtami, the midday time is particularly significant. According to the Panchang, the auspicious time for worship today, September 19, will be from 11:01 AM to 1:28 PM. Due to differences in sunrise and sunset times in various cities, there may be slight variations in the ritual timing.

On Radha Ashtami, one should take a morning shower and wear clean clothes. After that, the place for worship must be thoroughly cleaned. A red or yellow woven material should be spread on the platform. Then, images or statues of Radha Rani and Lord Krishna are installed. The worship begins with lighting a lamp. Radha Rani should be adorned with flowers, fruits, sweets, and other items for worship. If possible, the ritual of Abhisheka for Radha Rani with Panchamrita should be performed. After this, she is presented with beautiful clothes, ornaments, and flowers. During the worship, mantras of Radha Rani and Krishna should be recited. The ritual concludes with Aarti.

Tradition states that on Radha Ashtami, items for sixteen adornments should be offered to Radha Rani. According to religious beliefs, this helps preserve love and sweetness in married life. Incense can also be offered to Radha-Krishna during the worship. Along with this, roses, jasmine, or other fresh flowers should be placed. In religious views, these items are considered auspicious for worshipping Radha and Krishna.

A large number of devotees observe a fast on Radha Ashtami. The rules for breaking the fast vary depending on the region and traditions. According to the Panchang, the fast can be broken after 6:08 AM on September 20. Nevertheless, devotees observing a fast should break it according to the Panchang of their region and family traditions.

Radha Ashtami is celebrated as the birthday of Radha Rani. In the Vaishnava tradition, Radha Rani holds a special place as the greatest devotee of Krishna and His divine power. This is why the worship of Radha and Krishna on this day is considered especially significant. In Barsana, Vrindavan, and other areas of Braj, temples are decorated. Special worships, abhishekas, aartis, and singing of bhajans are conducted. Pilgrims arrive at the temples to see and worship Radha Rani.

Flowers, fruits, and sweets are offered to Radha Rani. In some local traditions of Braj, vegetarian dishes made from arbi are also included in the offerings to Radha Rani. Furthermore, the offerings include sweets made from milk, yogurt, khoya, and ghee. Greater importance is given to sincerity and devotion in the offering, rather than the quantity of dishes. On this day of Radha Ashtami, devotees pray to Radha Rani and Krishna, wishing for happiness, peace, and love.

After posting a critique of the approach to depicting characters from mythological stories in recent films, actress Kangana Ranaut has sparked rumors that she is commenting on the forthcoming film 'Ramayana' starring Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi.

On Friday, the actress and Member of Parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party shared a video clip from an old religious film. Along with this, she highly praised the way mythological plots were depicted in old cinema and criticized the use of modern clothing in recent films based on religious figures.

In her Instagram account, Kangana Ranaut wrote under the video: 'The more access people have to technology, the further they move away. We watch recent movies about God where characters who lived thousands of years ago are dressed in clothes resembling modern television series. It gives the impression that designers do not pay attention to the descriptions given in the scriptures. Whereas decades ago, without any visual effects or CGI, the masters of cinematography worked strictly according to the descriptions given in the scriptures. Look at the results, Jai Menaxi Amma.'

In her post, Kangana did not mention 'Ramayana' or any of its actors. However, after the release of the trailer for Nitesh Tiwari's upcoming 'Ramayana', when debates arose over the costumes and stylization of some characters, speculations began online based on her words.

Social media discussions revolve around the looks of Sai Pallavi as Sita and Laura Datta as Kaikeyi. Some users questioned the modern styling of the costumes, while others compared some looks to those shown in mythological TV shows.

Costume designers Rimple and Harpreet Narula commented on this criticism and explained the creative concept behind the film's costumes. They stated that these designs were created considering the cultural context, production needs, and the scale of the project, rather than aiming for an exact reproduction of any historical attire from the Ramayana period.

The designers also mentioned the difficulty of presenting this Indian epic to a global audience and viewers worldwide. These statements came amid ongoing discussions about character stylization, including Sita and Kaikeyi.

This is not the first time Kangana has voiced criticism related to 'Ramayana'. In 2023, she expressed disappointment that Ranbir Kapoor was chosen to play the role of Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari's film. At that time, Kangana made several personal accusations and criticized Kapoor's suitability for the role. She also questioned his acting abilities in the role of Lord Shiva in the 'Brahmastra' franchise.