The Kakawin Ramayana, arguably the oldest Old Javanese epic text in Indic metres (circa 9th century AD), holds a unique position in the literary heritage of Indonesia. The poem has retained a remarkable vitality through the centuries in the Archipelago, inspiring many forms of artistic expression not only in the domain of literature but also in the visual and performing arts, from the reliefs of the majestic Central Javanese temples to modern puppet-show performances. Displaying a virtuoso array of metrical patterns, the Kakawin Ramayana is among the very few Old Javanese texts for which a specific Sanskrit prototype has been identified, namely the difficult poem Bhattikavya (circa 7th century AD), itself a version of the great Ramayana epic ascribed to Valmiki (circa 6th–1st century BC). The Old Javanese poem is an original and skillful work of re-elaboration that documents a fascinating interaction between cultural elements of the Sanskritic tradition with those indigenous to the Javanese setting. The studies included in this volume, written by experts in a wide range of disciplines, focus on disparate aspects of the Kakawin Ramayana and the constellation of cultural phenomena revolving around it, providing the reader with a key to the understanding of the rich Old Javanese textual heritage and the transcultural intellectual dynamics that contributed to shaping the cultural heritage of Indonesia up to the present. With contributions from Andrea Acri, Helen Creese, Arlo Griffiths, Thomas Hunter, Roy Jordaan, Lydia Kieven, Cecelia Levin, Wesley Michel, Stuart Robson and Adrian Vickers, this book is the result of a workshop held at the KITLV branch in Jakarta on May 26th–28th 2009 and supported by the Australia-Netherlands Research Collaboration, the École Française d’Extrême-Orient, and the Stichting J. Gonda Fonds.

Composed over two thousand years ago, the Ramayana was transmitted to Southeast Asia in the first centuries CE. Over the years, it was adapted to suit local customs and traditions. The story of Rama's exile with his wife Sita, her abduction by the ogre king Ravanna, her rescue and Rama's triumphant return to Ayodhaya, captured the imagination of the kings of Siam, Cambodia and Indonesia. This triumph of good over evil was then visualized in stone carvings, drama, shadow puppets and mural paintings. Among the latter, Thailand and Cambodia have the finest examples. In the Shadow of Rama by long-standing expert, Dr. Vittorio Roveda, examines the most beautiful paintings. In Siam, we tour the famous murals of the Grand Palace in Bangkok and the intricacies of the shadow puppets, Nang Yai. In Cambodia, Roveda studies the delicate and expressive murals of Wat Bo, Siem Reap, as well as the those at the Silver Pagoda, Phnom Penh. He also explains how in Siam the Ramayana became the Ramakien and in Cambodia the Reamker. This magnificent book is the culmination of 20 years of research and provides a visual feast for all those fascinated by the art of Southeast Asia. ILLUSTRATION: 500 colour illustrations

This volume examines The Rāmāyaṇa traditions of South India and Southeast Asia. Bringing together 19 well-known scholars in Rāmāyaṇa studies from Cambodia, Canada, France, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, UK, and USA, this thought-provoking and elegantly illustrated volume engages with the inherent plurality, diversity, and adaptability of the Rāmāyaṇa in changing socio-political, religious, and cultural contexts. The journey and localization of the Rāmāyaṇa is explored in its manifold expressions – from classical to folk, from temples and palaces to theatres and by-lanes in cities and villages, and from ancient to modern times. Regional Rāmāyaṇas from different parts of South India and Southeast Asia are placed in deliberate juxtaposition to enable a historically informed discussion of their connected pasts across land and seas. The three parts of this volume, organized as visual, literary, and performance cultures, discuss the sculpted, painted, inscribed, written, recited, and performed Rāmāyaṇas. A related emphasis is on the way boundaries of medium and genre have been crossed in the visual, literary, and performed representations of the Rāmāyaṇa. Print edition not for sale in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bhutan)

The most popular story in all of India and a classic of world literature is summarised in 728 verses in the great epic Mahabharata. Intended for independent study or classroom use for students of various levels who have had a basic introduction to Sanskrit, this fully annotated edition of the Ramopakhyana supplies all the information required for complete comprehension. It contains the Devanagari text, Roman transliteration, sandhi analysis, Sanskrit prose equivalents to the verses, syntactic and cultural notes, and the English translation, and word-by-word grammatical analysis.

The Ramayana is a peerless epic composed by Maharshi Valmiki in the ancient Bharatvarsha. Prof. Sylvain Levi, the great French orientalist, once said "India gave mythology to her neighbors". Ramayana serves as the great stimulant to nascent literary worlds of south-east Asian countries and has influenced their culture through drama, puppetry and various performing arts. Ramayana Civilization has such everlasting influence that Thai Ramakien and Khon are very popular even in the present day. Dances like Singkil and Hudhud are very popular amongst the young Filipinos which is derived from Maharadia Lawana. The Kakawin Ramayana of Java and Bali associates people of Islam in it while in countries like Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Philippines, plays based on Ramayana are a regularity. From paintings to sculptures, from literature to the ethos of royal administration, from rituals of coronation to cremation, from local dance to grand ceremony the impact of Ramayana is prominent all over south-east Asia and this book provides a detailed analysis for the same.

The Book Consists Of Papers Presented At The International Seminar On ýVariations In Ramayana In Asia: Their Cultural, Social And Anthropological Significance: New Delhi 1981.

Written by leaders in a wide range of creative fields and from all corners of the Asian region, this collection of essays presents arts and education programs which reflect traditional and contemporary practices. The volume aims to encourage the use of the arts in developing international understanding, celebrating cultural diversity, building cultural bridges and creating cross-cultural dialogue throughout the Asian region.