Ramayana: A cross-cultural phenomenon

"Whether you are a faithful devotee, convinced of its divinity, hanging on the very utterance of the name “Rama”, or a die-hard fan of the innumerable cultural products spun-off the tale—from theatre, drama, dance, puppet shows and shadow plays to comic books, films, songs, TV serials and cartoons—or an artist-scholar theorising a new instance of the “distributed diasporic imaginary” of the narrative, the Ramayana speaks to each of us individually and uniquely. As if, it is speaking to no one else. This is the source of its indisputable, undiminished power."

ITI Director T. Sasitharan breaks down the appeal of the Ramayana text across cultures in an article for the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay website.

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