It is a popular belief that\n the Ramayana is idealistic, while the Mahabharata is realistic. Yet these two\n epics have identical building blocks, identical themes, and identical\n history.In this ground-breaking book, Devdutt Pattanaik, India’s most popular\n mythologist, explores the similarities and dissimilarities between the two\n epics in a ‘playful analysis’ accompanied by his signature illustrations.\n Whether it is the family structure, forest exile, or war, the comparison\n between the two epics proves a startling point—the Mahabharata is in fact a\n reaction to the events in the Ramayana.Ideas in this book are distributed\n over 56 chapters. In temple ritual, Vishnu is offered 8 different meals\n daily, different on all seven days of the week—56 dishes in all. May each\n chapter serve as a mouth-watering offering to the Vishnu within you.