Magic In The Dark

THE GREAT RAMAYANA epic was first committed to Sanskrit in the 5th or 4th century BC. The tale had since spread to many parts of the world and retold in many languages. In Southeast Asia alone, the story of Rama's quest to save his wife from the 10-headed demon king Raavana has been presented in various art forms, such as dance, drama, puppetry and painting.

Indonesia's wayang kulit (shadow puppetry), for instance, has its roots in Hinduism. Even today, it frequently performs episodes of the Ramayana or the Mahabharata for a largely Muslim audience. Other Southeast Asian countries that celebrate these mythological stories include Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore.

For its 12th edition, the popular Singapore Night Festival is shining a spotlight on traditional Asian stories, in particular the Ramayana. The great banyan tree outside the National Museum of Singapore, for instance, will be the projection screen for The Legend of Ramayana told by French light show specialists Spectaculaires. It will be accompanied by live gamelan music by Gamelan Asmaradana from Aug 29 to 31.