Nila (Ramayana)

In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Nil, also spelled as Neela', is a vanara (monkey) chieftain in the army of Rama, the prince of Ayodhya and avatar of the god Vishnu. He is the commander-in-chief of the monkey army under the monkey king Sugriva and is described as leading the army in Rama's battle against the rakshasa (demon) king Ravana of Lanka (identified with modern-day Sri Lanka) and as killing many demons.

Though the Ramayana credits Nala as the sole builder of the Rama Setu, a bridge across the ocean between Rameswaram (India) and Lanka, enabling forces of Rama to pass over to Lanka, other adaptations of the epic attribute the bridge's construction to both Nala and Nila.

In the Ramayana, Nila is described as the son of Agni, the fire-god, and as the "foremost among the monkeys in effulgence, reputation and prowess". An important part of the epic describes the role played by the monkey army in the rescue of Sita, the wife of Rama who is kidnapped by Ravana, the rakshasa (demon) king of Lanka. The many stories forming the epic are retold in various adaptations.

The Ramayana describes Nila as the commander-in-chief of the monkey army, under the king Sugriva. Sugriva orders Nila to assemble the monkeys so that they can be sent to locate Sita. The epic specifics Nila as a member of the search party that headed in the southern direction. The Mahabharata epic also tells of Nila being sent with other monkeys in the search for Sita.

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