Universally regarded as one of the world's most important literary works,
Ramayana has had a profound impact on the art, culture, family relations,
gender, politics, nationalism and militancy in the Indian sub continent. The
everlasting value of this epic tale has been extolled through the centuries,
and it has helped in molding the Hindu character largely. However, it would
be wrong to say that
Ramayana belongs only to the Hindus.
The Ramayana in Southeast Asia
Long ago, 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. Today, it belongs to the
whole humanity because it is capable of serving as a code of ethics for all
human beings, irrespective of caste, creed, color and religion.
Unparalleled Popularity of the Ramayana
The characters and incidents in
Ramayana provide the ideals and wisdom
of common life, and help to bind the people of India, regardless of caste and
language. No wonder, two of India's greatest festive events -
Dusshera
and
Diwali
are directly motivated by the
Ramayana. The first commemorates the
siege of Lanka and Rama's victory over Ravana; the second, the festival of lights,
celebrates Rama and Sita's homecoming to their kingdom in Ayodhya.
International Ramayana Conference
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.
