What are some lesser interesting facts about Lord Rama?

The 7th avatar of the God Vishnu, Lord Rama, also known as Ramachandra is a major deity of Hinduism, and one of the most cherished and worshipped gods in the Hindu Culture. 

Lord Rama was the son of Dashrath, king of Ayodhya. His mother’s name was Kausalya. Rama is also known as “Maryaada Purshottam.” 

Rama was the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu who killed demon king Ravana and restored dharma on the earth. He was an ideal king of all time. Rama was very handsome and his skin had a bluish shade. Ramarajya is the phrase used in India for best governance. He used to treat his subjects as his children.

• There are mainly two texts related to Lord Rama - 'Shri Ramcharit Manas' composed by Tulsidas and 'Valmiki Ramayana' composed by Valmiki ji. But there are many such things in both the texts which do not match. (Biography of Valmiki ji turned from robber to Maharishi)

• Lord Rama is the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

• Lord Rama was born in the “Ikshvaku” dynasty, which was founded by “King Ikshvaku”, son of Lord Surya. That is why Lord Rama is also called “Suryavanshi”.

•The book named Vishnu Sahasranama lists a thousand names of Lord Vishnu. According to this list, “Rama” is the 394th name of Lord Vishnu.

• The name Ram was given by Maharishi Vashistha, the guru of the Raghu dynasty. His name had a significant meaning, as it’s composed of two “Beeja Aksharas” – the Agni Beeja (Ra) and the Amrutha Beeja (Ma). While the Agni Beeja served to vitalize his soul and body, the Amrutha Beeja rejuvenated him from all the fatigue.

• The incarnation of Rama is not considered to be a complete incarnation as he knew 14 Kalas. Shri Krishna was proficient in sixteen arts of sixteen. This was done deliberately because Ravana had many boons, but a human could kill him.

• When the purpose of Rama's incarnation was proved, then Ram ji had to give up his body like any ordinary human being. But it was not possible for Yamraj to reach Ram ji in the presence of his supreme devotee Hanuman. So Rama dropped his ring from a crack in the ground and asked Hanuman to bring it. While searching for him, Hanuman ji reached Nag Lok and asked the king there about Ram ji's ring. Then the king told that Ram ji has done this to distract his attention so that Yamraj can take Ram ji.

• It is believed, Ayodhya was ruled by Lord Rama for eleven thousand years. This golden period was adjudged as Rama Rajya.

• To counter Ravana was elusive, Indra Devta had sent a divine chariot for Rama.  Ram defeated Ravana by sitting in the same chariot.

• Lord Rama's age was 27 years while going to exile.

• According to Ramcharit Manas that the war of Ram-Ravana lasted 32 days while the war between the two armies lasted for 87 days.

• It took only 5 days to build Ram Setu on the sea to reach Lanka.

• It is believed that in childhood itself, Goddess Sita used to lift the bow of Lord Shiva. Therefore, King Janak had put a condition for breaking the bow at the time of his swayamvara.

• Lord Rama had lifted and broken the bow of Lord Shiva during Sita’s Swayamvar – this fact has only been mentioned in Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas. Valmiki’s Ramayana doesn’t contain this fact.

• It is believed that the three stripes on the squirrel are due to the blessings of Lord Rama. Actually, when Ram Setu was being built to attack Lanka, a squirrel was also helping in this work. Seeing her dedication, Shri Ram had lovingly put his fingers on her back and since then these stripes are present on the squirrel.

• Ravana considered himself invincible, but once King Anaranya cursed him that the young man born of his lineage would be the cause of his death. Shri Ram was born in the lineage of King Anaranya.

• Lord Rama had four brothers – Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, Shatrughna, and he also had an elder sister named Shanta.

• The name of Ramji's bow was Sharanga.

• Ram name is recorded at number 394 out of 1000 names of Lord Vishnu.

• Parashurama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, did not know that Shri Ram is also an incarnation of Vishnu. That's why he asked Ram to put a bow on Vishnu's bow, which Ram ji easily offered and Parashuram ji also came to know the real form of Ram ji.

• Ravana was the greatest scholar of his time, that is why once Rama called Ravana as Maha-Brahmin, and at the time of his death sent Lakshmana to get knowledge from him.

• Before climbing Lanka, Shri Ram worshiped Shiva by making a Shiva Linga in Rameshwaram. Even today Rameshwaram is counted among the most important pilgrimage sites of Hindus.

• The bow of Lord Shiva that Ram had broken in Sita's swayamvara was named Pinak.

• The name of the forest in which Lord Rama, Sita Maiya and Lakshman ji had taken exile was Dandakaranya. 

• Rama would not die as Hanuman would not allow Yama to enter Ayodhya in order to claim Rama. To divert Hanuman’s attention Rama dropped his ring through a crack in the floor and sent Hanuman to fetch it back for him. After going down Hanuman reached the land of serpents and asked the King for Rama’s ring. The king showed Hanuman a vault filled with rings all of which were Rama’s. He told a shocked Hanuman that when in the cycle of time a Rama is to die he drops a ring down the crack so that a Hanuman can be diverted from his guard.