Who Is Manthara?
The maid who sparked Rama's exile
Manthara is the maid who serves Queen Kaikeyi in the Ramayana. She came with Kaikeyi from her family home, and the original epic describes her as hunchbacked.
When Manthara saw the capital decorated with festive flags and flowers and learned that Rama was to be king, she hurried to Kaikeyi. She stirred up Kaikeyi's fears, saying that if Rama became king, both Kaikeyi and Bharata would end up in misery. She also advised her to use the "two boons" the king had promised long ago. Kaikeyi had been happy at first, but Manthara's words swayed her.
In this way Manthara caused a major turning point in the story: Rama's exile. Later the angry Shatrughna seized her, but Bharata stopped him.
