In Ramayana, who was Manthara? What was her contribution to the great epic of Ramayana?

 Ramayana, the greatest epic as you rightly said, has a number of characters.

The character of Mata Kaikayi stands to be the most important one as the story of Ramayana has revolved around her cunningness.

Even though a majority considers Mata Kaikayi as the reason of Sita Ram leaving for vanvas along with Lakshman, and it is true also, there's no doubt in that, still Manthra is the actual reason why Mata Kaikayi even made a demand like that.

Manthra was just another sevak at the Rajmahal of Raja dashrath who was very close to Mata Kaikayi.

When Maharaj Dashrath decided to coronate Shri Ram as the next King of Ayodhya, Mata Kaikayi was very happy.

She ecstatically ran around the entire kingdom helping in the preparations of the coronation but as soon as she gave the good news to manthra, manthra played her part.

She manipulated Mata Kaikayi by saying that Raja dashrath has always favoured Ram more than your son Bharat and that Bharat is more deserving of the crown.

Mata Kaikayi did try to hold back but when the question of her son comes, a mother is not capable of distinguishing between what is right and what is wrong.

Mata Kaikayi fell into the clutches of Manthra's evil mind and decided to get Bharat coronated in place of Shri Ram.

Mata Kaikayi had once been given two boons by Raja Dashrath, one of them she had already availed by asking Raja Dashrath as her husband, the other one she had said that she would ask for some other time.

When the time came, Mata Kaikayi rushed to Raja Dashrath and asked her to send Ram to the forest for 14 years and coronate Bharat in place of him as her second vardaan.

Raja Dashrath wouldn't have conceeded to the woman's demand but

Raghukul reeti sada chali aayi

Praan jaayi par vachan na jaayi

He was a man of his word and so had to send bhagwan Ram to the forest as vanvaas for 14 years.

Mata Sita and Lakshman after hearing this requested Lord Ram to take them along with him and that is how Sita Ram Lakshman sahit had to leave for the forest.

Mata Kaikayi, very happy by this, went to Bharat and told him about the incident. She thought that her son would be happy if he gets to become the king but instead he despised his mother for her act and left home saying he won't come back until his brother with Mata Sita and Lakshman comes back to dwell in Ayodhya.

It was then that mata Kaikayi realised what she'd done was wrong and hated Manthra for getting into her head.

This is how Manthra is an important character when talking about her contribution.

The rest is Ramayana!

I hope the answer was sufficient to clear your doubt, if there is something else, you can post or check my previous answers on Ramayana and Mahabharata for more information.

Siya-var Ramchandra ki Jai! ❤️

Please chant

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Ram Hare Ram

Ram Ram Hare Hare.

What is the greatest contribution of the Maratha Empire?

 Do you know? 7 out of 12 current Jyotirlinga Temples were rebuilt by Marathas under their rule!

Here is the list..

1] Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Uttarpradesh.

• In 1669 CE, Emperor Aurangzeb destroyed the temple.
• In 1777 CE, Maratha Queen Ahilyabai Holkar built the present temple of Kashi Vishwanath.
• In 1828, Maharani Baiza Bai Scindia built a low-roofed colonnade with over 40 pillars in the Gyan Vapi precinct.
• 1844, Raghuji Bhonsle III of Nagpur donated silver to the temple.

2] Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, Mahārashtra.

• In 1690, Aurangazeb destroyed the Temple and set up a Mosque on it!
• In 1754, Balaji Bajirao pulled down the Mosque and reconstructed temple at the cost of 16 lakh rupees also changed the name of city from Gulshanabad to Nashik.
• Sadashivrao bhau presented gold crown to the temple [Marathas also marked the sum of Rs.16000 a year to defray the cost of the daily puja]

3] Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, Mahārashtra.

• During 13th-14th century Delhi Sultanate destroyed the Temple.
• In the 16th century, temple was re-constructed by Maloji raje Bhosale of Verul (grandfather of Shivaji Maharaj).

4] Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple, Madhyapradesh.

• In 1235, Sultan Altamash attacked Ujjain and destroyed the Temple and built a Mosque on it!
• Shivlinga was lying under the water of tank called Koti Tirtha for "five centuries"!
• In 1735, Ujjain came under Ranoji Scindia, his minister Ramchandra Sukhtankar pulled down the Mosque and reconstructed the present day temple at Same place.
• After five centuries, Shivalinga was taken out and reinstalled in newly built temple.

5] Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Temple, Mahārashtra.

• Chhatrapati Shivaji made a grant of a village named Kharosi to Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga during his rule.
• Later, the reconstruction of the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga started by Chimnaji Bhide Naik in 1736 CE. Its patronage continued right upto the end of Maratha rule (1818).

6] Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga temple, Madhyapradesh.

• In 11th century, Mahmud of Ghazni severely damaged the temple structure.
• Peshwa Bajirao II rebuilt the Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga temple as earlier was mutilated beyond repair. Ahilyabai Holkar also made further renovations and beautification of ghats.

7] Somnath Jyotirlinga Temple, Gujarat.

• In 1669, Somnath temple was defiled and converted into the Mosque on the order of Aurangazeb.
• In 1783, Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar constructed a new temple near the site of the old Somnath temple. It had a two storied garbha griha with the linga placed below ground level as a measure of abundant caution. The fear of iconoclasm remained firm as late as 1783!

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🔸Marathas built hundreds of Temples all over India. Queen Ahilyabai Holkar built temples & Dharmashalas from Srinagar in North to Rameswaram in South.

🔸Maratha Sardars like Raghuji made several Donations to Puri Jagannath temple, Balaji temple, Kashi Vishwanath temple.

🔸The current version of Varanasi's riverbanks (Ghats, Forts, Temples) we see today were rebuilt after 1700 AD by rulers of Maratha Empire. The royal patrons of the ghats were kings from the Scindia, Holkar, Bhonsle, and Peshwa families.

The German historian Herr Springel wrote in the Histoire Marratore in 1791 A.D. (i.c. before Grant Duff wrote and pub lished his book History of the Marathas) :

"I have undertaken to write the History of the Maratha people because they alone had annihilated the most powerful Mughal empire and had afterwards successfully carried on warfare with the English. My countrymen should therefore know something of these people and their history"

This is the greatest contribution of Maratha Empire!