Comfort found in religious drama reruns

STAYING home under lockdown waiting for the coronavirus pandemic to pass, millions of

Indians are turning to their gods.

Not in prayer rooms, but on TV. The country’s public broadcaster has revived epic TV shows like

and – both highly revered mythological tales – airing them at prime time nightly.

a series broadcast in 1993, is an adaptation of the life of one of Hinduism’s most popular gods. a series from the 1980s, tells the story of Lord Ram who was sent into exile for 14 years and rescued his kidnapped wife Sita from the demon Ravan. On April 16, the show had a record 77 million viewers. India’s public broadcaster Prasar Bharati said, “these figures clearly indicate there is still demand for values and ethos-driven content”.