Demon changes into a deer to lure Sita (Thai Ramayana mural)
A two image sequence on a mural painted at the Emerald Buddha Temple depicts a demon's intentional transformation into a deer. In the top image, his legs have turned into those of a golden deer. In the lower image, the demon is fully changed into the deer.
Once Ravana decides that he must possess Rama's wife Sita, he conceives a plot to abduct her. Ravana hears that Sita loves deer, so he commands his demon subject Mareet to change himself into a golden deer to which Sita will be attracted. Sita is enchanted by the beautiful deer and she sends Rama into the forest to capture it for her.
![<img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://statelibrarync.org/learnnc/sites/default/files/images/thai_rama_072.jpg" width="683" height="1024" alt="Demon changes into a deer to lure Sita " title="Demon changes into a deer to lure Sita " /> <img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://statelibrarync.org/learnnc/sites/default/files/images/thai_rama_072.jpg" width="683" height="1024" alt="Demon changes into a deer to lure Sita " title="Demon changes into a deer to lure Sita " />](https://ncpedia.org/sites/default/files//styles/anchor_images/public/thai_rama_072.jpg?itok=4rD7OsSd)
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