Popular belief and the text
Was Ahalyā turned to stone in the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa?
Popular beliefAhalyā was turned to stone
In Vālmīki
No. In Vālmīki she lives on air, doing penance, unseen by every living being, until Rāma arrives. The stone image belongs to later traditions, including the Rāmcaritmānas.
Bāla Kāṇḍa sarga 48Vālmīki (primary text)
Primary text: Śrīmad Vālmīkīya Rāmāyaṇa, Gita Press, Gorakhpur. Later traditions are labelled as such. Return to the Rāmāyaṇa World.