▁the ▁V ish nu ▁Pur ana ▁and ▁the ▁H indu ▁ep ic ▁Ram ay ana ▁of ▁Val m iki , ▁and ▁all ▁subsequent ▁versions , ▁including ▁the ▁Ram ach ar it aman as ▁written ▁by ▁T uls idas , ▁where ▁it ▁finds ▁mention ▁in ▁the ▁Sund ar ▁K and . ▁The ▁V at ika ▁has ▁garden ▁houses ▁around ▁it , ▁built ▁by ▁V ish w ak arma ▁himself . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁location ▁where ▁S ita , ▁the ▁wife ▁of ▁R ama , ▁was ▁held ▁capt ive ▁by ▁Rav ana ▁after ▁her ▁ab du ction , ▁also ▁because ▁she ▁refused ▁to ▁stay ▁in ▁Rav ana ' s ▁palace ▁and ▁preferred ▁to ▁stay ▁under ▁the ▁Ash oka ▁tree . ▁It ▁was ▁here ▁that ▁Rav ana ' s ▁wife ▁Mand od ari ▁came ▁to ▁meet ▁her ▁and ▁also ▁where ▁Han uman ▁met ▁her ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time , ▁and ▁identified ▁himself ▁with ▁the ▁finger ▁ring ▁of ▁R ama . ▁ ▁S ita ▁stayed ▁at ▁Ash okat ▁V at ika ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ep ic ▁battle ▁between ▁R ama ▁and ▁Rav ana , ▁which ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁Rav ana ▁himself ▁and ▁most ▁of ▁this ▁cl an . ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁Ash oka ▁V at ika ▁was ▁destroyed ▁by ▁Han uman ▁when ▁he ▁first ▁visited ▁L anka ▁searching ▁for ▁S ita . ▁Also ▁destroyed ▁was ▁the ▁Pr am da ▁Van ▁at ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁Ash ok ▁V at ika . ▁ ▁Pres ent ▁location ▁ ▁Its ▁present ▁location ▁is ▁believed ▁to