Valmiki's Ramayana was first introduced to the West in 1843 in Italian by
Gaspare ... Many of these artists, including playwrights Stephanie Timm and
Yussef El ...
Films
Characters
There are films about the Ramayana dating back to 1912! Here are some of the most well known ones: Ramayan – Indian TV Series, 1986 Ramayan: The Legend of Prince Rama 1992 Sita Sings the Blues – Animated Film, 2008 Ramayana: The Epic – Animated Film, 2010
Rama: Dasartha's first-born son and the upholder of dharma (correct conduct and duty). Rama, along with his wife Sita, has served as a role model for thousands of generations in India and elsewhere. Rama is regarded by many Hindus as an incarnation of the god Vishnu, and by Southeast Asian Buddhists as an incarnation of the Buddha. Sita: Rama's wife, the adopted daughter of King Janak. She is regarded as a symbol of virtue. Kausalya: Dasartha's first wife, and the mother of Rama. Bharata: Rama's brother by Queen Kaikeyi. When Bharata learned of his mother's scheme to banish Rama and place him on the throne, he put Rama's sandals on the throne and ruled Ayodhya in his name. Hanuman: A leader of the monkey tribe allied with Rama against Ravana. Hanuman has many magical powers because his father was the god of the wind.
Recommended Reading Children’s books: Ramayana: Divine Loophole by Sanjay Patel The Ramayana for Children by Bulbul Sharma Indian Children’s Favourite Stories by Rosmarie Somaiah
Ravana: The 10-headed demon king of Lanka who abducted Sita. In some cultures, Lanka is thought to be modern Sri Lanka. Lakshmana: Rama's younger brother by Dasartha's third wife, Sumitra. When Rama and Sita were exiled to the forest, Lakshmana accompanied them.
Adult books: The Ramayana Series by Ashok K. Banker Arrow of the Blue-Skinned God by Jonah Blank The Song of Rama by Devi Vanamali The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic by Ramesh Menon A Tale of Gods: Ramayana by R. Prime Ramayana by Krishna Dharma
About the Myth The Ramayana, which means “the march of Rama,” was written by the great sage Valmiki, who was considered the first Sanskrit poet. According to legend, Valmiki was a robber who was transformed by a hermit into a virtuous being. He was then guided by Saraswati to visualize the events of Ramayana and eulogize them. For centuries, the epic existed only orally in Sanskrit. Other famous versions of Ramayana included Shri Ramcharitmanas in Avadhi or old Hindi, Kambaraamayanam in Tamil, the Patala Ramayanam in Malayalam, and the Bengali Ramayana. Valmiki's Ramayana was first introduced to the West in 1843 in Italian by Gaspare Gorresio with support of Charles Albert, the King of Sardinia. The Ramayana became popular in Southeast Asia and manifested itself in text, temple architecture and performance, particularly in Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia. Every year scholars from different countries get together for the International Ramayana Conference (IRC), which includes presentations on various themes and workshops based on Ramayana. The IRC was held in India three times, two times in Thailand, and one time each in Canada, Nepal, Mauritius, Surinam, Belgium, Indonesia, the Netherlands, China, Trinidad & Tobago, and the US.
Synopsis
Rama leading Sita and Lakshmana through the forest
Ramayana is a story known to billions of people. For some, it is an allegory; for others, it is religious history. It tells the story of Rama, who is prince of a place called Ayodhya, and his beloved wife, the princess Sita. After Rama is exiled from Ayodhya, he, along with Sita and his brother Lakshmana, head to the forest where they will live out their banishment. There, Sita is kidnapped by the ten-headed demon king Ravana and taken back to Lanka where Ravana attempts to force her to be his queen. In order to rescue his beloved wife, Rama, alongside faithful Lakshmana, must befriend an army of monkeys to make the journey to Ravana’s palace. They face peril after peril during their quest to rescue Sita before it’s too late. However, once they reach Lanka, it’s made clear that this fight is only just beginning.
About the Production
Hinduism and the Ramayana
Ramayana is the first production fully generated by ACT’s new Affiliate Artist Working Group, a body of distinguished artists – playwrights, actors, directors, composers, designers, choreographers, and dramaturges. Many of these artists, including playwrights Stephanie Timm and Yussef El Guindi, have been involved with the Working Group from its conception in 2010 to the full production you’re seeing today. Ramayana is the largest ensemble generated work ever undertaken by a leading Seattle theatre. In contrast to a regular production, where a script is selected, a director hired, designers engaged and actors rehearsed, ensemble generated works bring all the artists together at the outset. All of these artists work together to generate a piece as a whole, which means the work has a richness of place and time not always achieved through traditional production means. The extra time means the work has longer to grow and change. Having many participants involved in its creation makes the work more complex as the result of the deep and ongoing collaboration, giving its participating artists a stronger sense of ownership of the material. This is a fundamentally different work derived from a unique creation method.
Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world and the most predominant religion in India. Our story, the Ramayana, comes out of Hindu tradition. It is important to understand some basic elements of Hinduism in order to understand the story. Two of the central themes of Hinduism are the concepts of karma and dharma. Karma is a Sanskrit term that translates roughly to “deed” or “action.” Everything a person does is a part of their karma. The goal of Hinduism is to attain good karma by adhering to one's dharma. Dharma translates to “duty.” This is your duty to others as well as your duty to yourself. Adhering to one's dharma generally creates good karma.
Symbols of Vishnu
A principal component of dharma is righteousness. Righteousness can be simplistically defined as “the right thing to do.” One of the primary ideas of righteousness and therefore dharma is keeping one’s word. A person may lose all of their social standing if they do not keep their promise. Another important aspect of dharma is obedience – obedience to one’s elders and seniors. Parents, elder siblings and their spouses, teachers, scholars, etc. all command obedience even from the king.
As an icon, Vishnu has four arms. The four arms indicate Vishnu's omnipresence and omnipotence. In his right hand he holds the discus, symbol of the cosmic mind and reminder of the wheel of time. His left hand holds the conch, the symbol of the sound Ohm origin of existence. The sounds created from the conch are associated with the sound from the creation of the universe. From this evolve the five elements. In his lower left hand, he holds a lotus, the symbol for the moving universe and of all things that are good (eternity, prosperity, and purity). His lower right hand holds the mace, the symbol of the notion of individual existence. The icons on his body also attribute to the greatness of the deity. The power of the god is encased in the garland of victory made from five sections of either flowers or jewels, representing the five senses.
The goal of achieving good karma is to move “upwards” in samsara, the Hindu cycle of reincarnation, towards moksha, or freedom from samsara and total spiritual liberation. The Hindu tradition describes a very specific hierarchy of the Earth’s beings. Humans are at the top of the hierarchy.
Understanding dharma helps to understand the character interactions in the Ramayana. For instance, as rulers, Rama’s family may be in complete control of their destiny, but they must still answer to their teachers and gurus. It is believed that if a person is true to their own dharma and acquires good karma, they will continue to move higher through samsara as the soul gains enlightenment.
Southeast Asia – where Ramayana is most prominent
Ramayana Elsewhere in the World
Discussion Questions
International Ramayana Festival in India
International Ramayana Festival in Bangkok, Thailand
This is an epic from Southeast Asia. What similarities and differences can you find between The Ramayana and a Western Epic, such as The Iliad or The Odyssey?
Do you believe that a king’s duty to his people is greater than his duty to his family? Why or why not?
Because this is a text that is considered to be sacred by many and by some as truth, do you think it is appropriate for a theatre to be adapting and producing this as a play? What do you think it would be like if this was done with stories from the Christian Bible?
