Through the centuries poets, performers, and artists have ended their versions of the Rama epic in various ways. The endings fall into two main traditions, one stopping on a high note of triumph, reunification, and the prospect of well-being for all, and the other continuing with a tangled and sad extension.
Why is the epic of Rama a beloved tale in many cultures across South and Southeast Asia? Explore how this story and its characters has remained significant in the lives of millions even today.
Learn about the main events and conflicts in the Rama epic.
The dalang (puppet master) is a master musician, an epic storyteller, a dancer of dolls, a comic wonder, a deep philosopher, and a political pundit all rolled into one; some dalangs have the power to do exorcisms and other traditional ceremonies. In essence, a conduit of the knowledge embedded in the traditional epics of wayang (puppet theater), the dalang connects the community with its cultural history and with the spirit world.
Over the centuries, two main branches of Buddhism emerged: a transmission that traveled to Southeast Asia, and a transmission that evolved in East Asia. A further offshoot of the northern transmission also developed. All three branches began in India, and developed further as they moved across Asia.
“Asia” is a term invented by the Greeks and Romans, and developed by Western geographers to indicate the land mass east of the Ural Mountains and Ural River, together with offshore islands such as Japan and Java.
