evidence: Jatayu, in spite of his waning strength and poor eyesight, stops Ravana and engages him in a fierce fight. But the combat is unequal from the beginning. Ravana cuts off the wings of the bird and mutilated him with his sword. Jatayu fell to the ground, his life ebbing away. He fell on a huge rock and lay gasping for breath, his vision dimming. But he held on to life with all the strength that he could muster. He wanted to inform Shri Ram about Sita’s whereabouts before he breathed his last. At long last Ram and Lakshman, searching for Sita, came upon the prone and almost lifeless form of Jatayu. The brave bird whispered that Ravana had carried Sita southwards towards his kingdom of Lanka, and gave up his life. Shri Ram was heartbroken and performed the last rites of Jatayu as if he were his own father. [...] The desperate and yet defiant look in the eyes of the dying bird smote our hearts. The giant bird, the king of Vultures lay on its back, its injured talons raised, its beak open in agony, as it awaited Lord Rama. The poignant moments in which Jatayu clung on to life to provide vital information about Sita to Ram and Lakshman, have been frozen in stone for posterity.