Manthara was a princess, not a maid.

The Ramayana character Manthara is often associated with a hunchbacked maidservant. However, few people know that Manthara was not actually a maidservant; she was a princess, just like Kaikeyi. The question arises: why did such a beautiful princess have to spend her entire life as a hunchbacked maidservant?

In the Ramayana, Manthara is considered the primary reason for Lord Rama’s 14-year exile. She is widely regarded as a woman who caused family rifts. Following Rama’s exile, King Dasharatha died of grief for his son. Despite all this, Kaikeyi kept Manthara with her. What was the reason that Kaikeyi always obeyed Manthara’s every command and never treated her like a slave?

Kaikeyi came to Ayodhya with her.
Kaikeyi was the daughter of Emperor Aswapati. She was a very beautiful, virtuous, and brave woman. King Dasharatha loved her most among his three queens. According to legend, when Kaikeyi was married to King Dasharatha, the maidservant Manthara accompanied her to Ayodhya from her parents’ home.

She had a special bond with Kaikeyi.
Kaikeyi and Manthara shared a special bond, which led to her always being with Kaikeyi. Legend has it that Manthara was the daughter of Brihadashwa, King Aswapati’s brother. Manthara was once a very beautiful princess. Kaikeyi and Manthara were sisters and good friends. They were inseparable from each other.

The Story of Becoming a Hunchback
According to legend, Manthara was a princess and very intelligent. However, due to a childhood illness, she had an inability to tolerate heat and thirst. One day, Manthara felt very thirsty and drank a sherbet. After this, all her organs stopped functioning. After extensive treatment, Manthara’s entire body recovered, but her spine was permanently crooked. This prevented her from getting married.