Muslim Indonesian Troupe Perform “ Ramayana Ballet

21-Apr-2020

On the auspicious occasion of Vijaya Dashmi  also known as  Dusshera, Gujarat became an eyewitness to mesmerizing performance presented and performed at an event by KABUMI & Faculty of Arts and Design Education, Indonesia University of Education (UPI), Bandung- Indonesia. An  Indonesian troupe had performed “Ramayana Ballet”  along with their  43  artists.  A  large number from this group follow Islam but they equally revere the universal tale of Ramayana. This came across as a proud moment for every Indian.

In Indonesia, Muslims perform the Ramayana dance during on the night of full moon. The consulate general of Indonesia in India, Saut Siringoringo said, “Our vision among you is to promote Indonesian art and culture by presenting Ramayana and Angklung Orchestra in India”. An epic like Ramayan and Mahabharat plays important role in Indonesian History.

The Indian epic of Ramayana also connects with Indonesians strongly as the tale of Rama, Lesmana, Sinta along with Anomana has captivated the generation. It is a hugely popular drama especially in centers such as Bali, Java, and Jakarta with their own interpretation of the epic. There are some minor differences in the Indian and Indonesian Ramayan. The Indian Ramayana is the original Ramayana authored by Sage Valmiki. The Indonesian Ramayana is the Sri Lankan version of Ramayana authored by Rishi Kamban, titled, "Ramavataram" and was written in Tamil. Indian Ramayana portrays Sita as a soft and beautiful woman whereas Indonesian Ramayana depicts her as bold, strong and powerful. She fights with Asuras and Asuris in Sri Lanka herself, without depending on her husband for her freedom from Ravana’s birdcage.

Indian Ramayana is peaceful and less violent when compared with Ramavataram, which has more gore and more violence in it. After performing Ayodhya, Lucknow and Mumbai, they approached to Ahmedabad, vibrant city of Gujarat. Now this troupe of Indonesia will be performed in Chennai.

For event industry, this counts as a great international content on popular Indian mythology.