Bali Arts Festival Features Ramayana’s Version of
Five Countries
It was a breathtaking battle scene. A majestic Rama
climbed onto the shoulder of his archenemy, Rahwana,
and for several minutes their bodies were locked in
mortal battle.
Their beautifully carved staffs clashed with each
other as Rama and Rahwana fought for a definitive
end to the prolonged epic of human tragedy and
divine victory.
"It’s an amazing performance. The way the dancers
used acrobatic maneuvers truly gave the scene a
dramatic edge,” said the rector of the Indonesia
Arts Institute in Denpasar (ISI), Wayan Rai S. “The
acrobatic maneuvers are unlike anything we have ever
seen here in Balinese traditional dance dramas on a
similar theme.”
Titled Thai Khon Ramakien, the Thai version
on the great Hindu Ramayana epic was presented by
seasoned dancers from the predominantly Buddhist
kingdom.
Dressed in glittering costumes, around 21 dancers
narrated the journey of Phra Ram (Rama), his
beautiful wife Nang Sida (Sita), and his trusted
younger brother Phra Lak (Laksaman) through a dense
forest, during which Sita was abducted by Rahwana,
the demonic King of Lengka. The story ended with the
ultimate duel between Rama and Rahwana. Mighty as he
was, Rahwana was no match the Rama, who, according
to Balinese Hindus, was the incarnation of Lord
Wisnu and, for Thai Buddishts, the personification
of Lord Buddha.
The refined, elegant movement of the dancers, the
intricate costumes and the eerily beautiful musical
scores worked in unison to cast a dramatic spell
over hundreds of spectators who flocked to the
Ksirarnawa indoor theater. Naturally, the spectators
gave thunderous applause at the end of the
performance.
Thai Khon Ramakien was the opening show of
the International Ramayana Festival, a cultural
gathering held in conjunction with the 28th
Bali Arts Festival. Held from June 26 through July
1, the festival involved Ramayana troupes from
Thailand, Cambodia, India, Singapore, and the United
States. Indonesia presented two troupes in the
festival, one from Bali, the other East Java.
Ramayana is arguably the second-most popular item of
literary heritage in Bali. The epic exists in a
variety of performing art forms: from the ancient,
refined poems of kakawin to the energetic masked
dance drama of wayang wong. It Ramayana is
also a favorite recurring theme in the island’s
well-known fine arts-in paintings, sculptures,
reliefs and glass panels.
“That’s probably the reason why, despite the
language barrier, the audience had no difficulty in
following the performance,” arts scholar Kadek
Suartaya pointed out.
“It is an important, eye-opening gathering, which
introduces and familiarizes the Balinese with the
rich traditions of Ramayana from various countries
in the world,”Rai stressed.
Bali’s Werddhi Budaya Art Center head Dewa Putu
Beratha nodded in agreement. “For example, the East
Java troupe provided us with a ‘working-class’
version of the epic.
By incorporating various movements from popular folk
dances, unadorned costumes, and attractive elements
from contemporary dances, the troupe succeeded in
painting a fresh picture of the ancient story,
Beratha said. “Somehow, the conflict among princes
and kings was transformed into a battle between
masses.”
Colorful local interpretation and adaptation have
been a primary characteristic of the Ramayana for
hundreds of years. The epic, which consists of over
24,000 verses compiled into 700 chapters, is
believed to have been composed by the Indian poet
Valmiki somewhere between 400 BC to 200 BC.
In his fascinating book, Ramayana in
Southeast Asia, prolific cultural researcher Garret
Kam details the vast distribution of the epic. The
story can be found in dozens of countries, including
Iran, Japan, Mongolia and Korea, and even in the
predominantly Muslim part of the Philippines. In
each country the epic has been modified and adapted
to local cultural and religious contexts. Rama, the
Hindu hero of India, has been transformed into a
Buddhist icon in Cambodia and Thailand, but into a
secular personage in Malaysia. In India, Rama is
ultimate hero, while in Sri Lanka, the ogres are
portrayed in a more sympathetic manner; in the
ninth-century Khmer Reamker, Rama is an
irresponsible father who engaged his sons in a
futile civil war.
Similar adaptation is also present in the Indonesian
version of the Ramayana. Literary scholar IBG
Agastya stated that the first version, which was
written in the 10th century, and the
second, Yogiswara’s kekawin Ramayana of 2,778 verses
from the 12th century, were specifically
adapted to the ancient Javanese language, as well as
to the local cultural environment. The author even
incorporated a detail description of a local
Siwaistic temple, believed to the Prambanan, into
the text as one of the places visited by Rama. It
was truly an interesting verse, portraying the
incarnation of Wisnu kneeling and paying homage to
Siwa.
“From an academic point of view, the festival
provides us with a rare opportunity to conduct a
comparative study on the Ramayana. That’s why I’m
urging my students to attend the festival. “Rai
said.
