300 Ramayanas

A. K. Ramanujan remains one of South Asia’s finest exponents of the poetic form and literary criticism. In light of that, it is perhaps some redemption that he is not alive to see the kinds of degenerate and dangerous political challenges his work has to face today. The dominant Hindu orthodoxy in India, represented and supported by its communal and fundamentalist organisations, have wanted to sell the idea that the epic poem about Rama’s life, the Ramayana, is actually just one cohesive authentic story and any other version differing from it is blasphemous. They attempt to chart a clear lineage from what is arguably the oldest version, written by Valmiki in the fifth century B.C., to another version written a few centuries ago called the Rama Charita Manas by Tulsidas. Besides this narrowly bracketed narrative, all others are either silenced or forcibly discouraged by the mainstream Hindu conservatives.

As a result, it wasn’t surprising when the student wing of the foremost Hindu fundamentalist organisation in the country, decided to violently try and remove A. K. Ramanujan’s famous essay on the various ‘tellings’ of the Ram-katha, or Tales of Rama, from the University syllabus of the University of Delhi. This essay, titled 300 Ramayanas, describes using five instances of how the tales of Ram have travelled across the terrains of South Asia and South East Asia and gradually mutated according to changes in customs and literary imaginations. Ram has remained a central character, but instead of there being one seamless narrative, as is suggested by the word Ramayana, the scholarly work of Ramanujan informs us of the variations and deeper readings that are possible when one takes the multiple traditions around Rama’s stories. 

Murals depicting scenes from Ramayana in Thailand

Given the history of the tales itself, one can only be blind to believe that the narrative hasn’t transformed in more than two and a half thousand years, given that the primary nature of the dissemination of the tales was either oral or through performative arts like theatre or dance. Ramanujan himself leaves the question of the number of such ‘tellings’ open by saying they could be three hundred or even three thousand. An average estimate would put it to a thousand at least. But Ramanujan’s brilliance as a scholar lies in his ability to read between the lines in order to bring out the different social realities with which these stories of Rama were corresponding. He further goes on to show the use of Rama as not divine but a rather human warrior and the journey of that image through other religious texts and tales like those of Jainism or Buddhism. 

Sadly however, the undemocratic tendency in the University of Delhi as well as the original publishers, Oxford University Press, has prevailed in the face of severe protests in India and abroad. While students of Oxford University signed en masse against the removal of the essay and the discontinuation of publication along with several other scholars from various disciplines, the authorities have refused to give in. 

Ramanujan’s essay puts together one of most lucid studies of how stories have a life of their own as they are passed on over generations, from oral forms to written ones. Poetry, prose and drama have been used as forms of narrating the different tales of Rama and their continuing longevity in the face of attempts to pigeonhole their values provides a strong glimmer of hope for those curious minds which are willing to discern between the elaborate and the mediocre. For travellers in South and South East Asia, the tales of Rama would continue to be crucial markers of religious and social realities and it is within these tales of human and divine that a significantly more humane understanding of culture can be perceived.

Through Sri Lanka and more

Archaeological anthropology in Sri Lanka has been the focal point of our plans for a while now and here is a narrative of our experiences with the island’s diverse heritage and culture. The trip was organised for the alumni of a famous educational institution and it was a pleasure to have distinguished individuals with us on such an educational trip, which only made our interaction with such a large canvas of historical legacy worthwhile.

Our journey began at Colombo – with a trip through its fish market. Left amazed by the huge variety of fish and the different kinds of delicacies we learnt of, we made up our minds to have a meal with a resident family and learn a thing or two in close detail about local cuisine. That done, we decided to equip ourselves with information about the island’s history and culture and the National Museum was our one-stop destination. Ambling through the hallways in the company of one of the curators of the Museum, we learnt of the relevance of the Temple of the Tooth and the exquisite Lion Rock at Sigiriya along with the finer points about the Anuradhapura rock carvings and the Galle fort.

Dinner at the Dutch Burgher Union was more about animated discussions than about food. Stories about the Dutch community settled in the island were subjects of lengthy conversations, as were the issues around the famous Dutch Hospital, which has now been converted into a restaurant and shopping arcade. Memories and nostalgic representations of personal histories pour out in conversations in such gatherings and like always, they left us thinking deeply about our own lives and our interactions with other socially distinct groups. Our hotel happened to be quite a hot wedding destination and as incidence would have it, we ended up chatting up some more with the wedding revellers. The soldier like costume for the groom immediately caught our attention and led us to a few curious conversations about the varieties of clothing in Sri Lanka. Photographs and flower arrangements are very crucial to Sinhala weddings - elaborate in style and orchestrated to perfection – they are a complete visual treat and the atmosphere of merriment left us all quite satisfied with the evening. 

Anuradhapura was our port of call as daylight broke. This UNESCO World Heritage site shares a common distinction with other famous South Asian cities like Varanasi – that of being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Dagobas and Pokunas, the two prominent architectural formations in the ancient ruins along with other facets of Buddhist influence at Anuradhapura were finely explained by our accompanying guide. But our keenness for detail was tested heavily once we reached Mihintale, the celebrated religious site that symbolises the dawn of Buddhism in the island. The mountain with the Maha Stupa at the top is accessible only by a stairway cut into the rock along the side of the mountain, the gradient of which is so gradual that most of us were exhausted halfway up. Those who persevered were treated to a majestic view from the top and an opportunity to understand the mythic tales around the structure, especially the Aradhana Gala where the Buddhist monk Mahinda is believed to have landed from the heavens. The Kaludiya Pokhuna, or Black Lake, was the highlight of the day – as the calm waters and bristling wind soothed our senses, the onset of dusk seemed unhurried.

Resting for another day hardly seemed enough when we finally reached Sigiriya. The most exquisite architectural components have survived here since the fifth century and remain witness to the changing atmosphere of the island’s culture. The lion rock, written about and studied extensively in the last hundred years after H.C.P. Bell’s publications, is practically a gallery in its own right. Frescoes line its walls and ceilings conveying different tales from the Buddhist myths while the entire monument reveals itself to be a larger monolithic fresco. Once at the top, the linear gardens surrounding the rock disclosed themselves from between the dense foliage of trees. Sinhala Buddhism’s inner contradictions and faultlines were visible during our visit to the Lion Rock and even later at the Temple of the Tooth. The Sinhala Buddhist clergy came across largely to be an elite group, possessing the most expensive vehicles and gadgets, while discreetly representing the inherent racialisation against Tamils in the country. Social discrimination against minorities runs deep within Sinhala society and historians often point out that it is an endemic part of the construction of the country itself in the last seventy years, although the differences are much older. The original Tamil population in the country is as old, if not older, than the Sinhala-speaking community but the rise of Buddhism in the region has shaped the distinctions quite prominently. While plantation-Tamils are a separate social category, they continue to occupy a lower rung in the economic ladder in the pockets of central Sri Lanka that they inhabit. 

On the way to Kandy, we stopped at a local resident’s house and finally got a taste of homemade local cuisine. The cook provided a small demonstration of the different uses of coconut and the different spices such as cumin and cardamom which complement the various techniques of coconut-based cooking. Our main dish was the delicious Lamprais and chicken meatballs (a welcome change from the rice hoppers at the hotel!) which was further accompanied by liberal amounts of Elephant Ginger Beer, a local non-alcoholic beverage that could well make its claim as a national drink against tea. This was followed by a drive to the famous Temple of the Tooth, which is the Sinhala seat of symbolic power. As evening settled in and the worship rituals commenced, we explored the surroundings. Gemstones, gold, ivory and many other precious materials have been used to embellish the seat of this relic, believed to be the tooth of the Buddha himself. The current government’s anxieties are palpable with the number of security guards around the main shrine, slyly revealing how symbolic and political powers exist with each other in Sinhala Buddhist society.

These and many other issues remained with us through the journey but much of our experience was sharpened with the visit to the Peradeniya University where we were given interesting presentations by academics on cultural forms in the island. This was followed by a visit to the Suriyagoda Temple which provided an ample mix of textual understanding and practical exploration for us. All that travel meant another session of unwinding and what better way than to lay back and watch a fantastic dance performance by a school of professional dancers working hard to preserve local cultural forms. 

The next morning led us to another completely different world ensconced within a colonial century-old culture of tea garden life at Nuwara Elliya Hill Club, where the serene plantation houses are tended to by butlers, a formal jacket and tie are mandatory and tea and cakes along with strawberries and cheese find generous space on the menu. Strangely, even local flamenco style music had also found its way into the silence of the tea gardens! Strolling in the tea gardens proved to be more relaxing than we had imagined it to be and those for a knack for tea-tasting can find this place to be paradise. Baker’s Falls and the Beli Lena caves are shorter trips one can take around Nuwara Eliya to see the picturesque natural beauty in the central hills. 

Our last stop before Galle was Ratnapura, from where we took a drive to Udawalawe National park to see their elephant preservation programme. Orphaned and ill elephants are rigourously cared for at the park which has a dedicated staff for all kinds of work. The whole island seemed afresh with fruits during the whole of our journey with several different stretches of fruit cultivation. Armed with fresh fruit and rather pleased to see public washrooms at regular intervals along the road, we reached Galle and immediately set off to see the Maritime Museum. Visitors are allowed to take up the diving program to see underwater shipwrecks but we left that one for another time. The visual pleasure of seeing a marine ecosystem up close left us wanting to extend our stay. 

But like most things, our relationship with the beauty of Sri Lanka would continue in parts. And that will then be another great story.

great escapes and tiny islands

sometimes you dont need photoshop

Imagine a dot on a map. Imagine a handful surrounding it. Then fill the rest with sparkling blue and keep some green for when you get closer. That, in short, is the stunning aerial view of the famous Lakshadweep Islands, off the coast of Kerala, nestled in the expansive Indian Ocean. It is a universe on its own with coconut and palm trees as the dominant inhabitants, making humans look like small fry. This least populated territory within the Indian Union contributes the highest share in production of coconut and coconut-based products. This and several other reasons make the Lakshadweep islands our focus of the month. 

Accessible by both water and air, these set of islands have become favourable travelling destinations in the last few years. While regular boats and steamers operate from the port at Kochi, the island of Agatti has an air strip which facilitates air travel from the Kochi airport. Recently opened resorts and an established infrastructure for water sports and marine study make any itinerary extremely exciting. 

scuba diving in Lakshadweep

In terms of depth, both literal and more abstract, any discerning traveller would have a feast. While snorkelling and diving can mark half the itinerary, there is a host of learning in store in the enthused fishing villages that could take up most of your time. But before much of that, there is a sense of pristine physical beauty that needs imbibing. Lakshadweep is a set of atolls, a rare geographic occurrence wherein a lagoon of sea water is either partially or completely surrounded by a coral reef. Atolls are only seen in tropical and sub-tropical climate and offer an opportunity to study diverse forms of marine flora and fauna. Once the general singularity of these island formations is clear, a lot of natural phenomenon can be understood such as fishing seasons, fishing techniques, land mass formation and biospheric interactions. 

The islands have been historically quite eventful, from the Pallava and Chera kingdoms when it was an essential outpost for coconut trade and naval control to the modern day Indian state, where it holds similar relevance. Cultural similarities to Kerala are present in terms of language and local customs but those have significantly transformed in relation to the surrounding environment. Diversity within the islands is also an interesting facet for curious travellers – the variety of dances like the ‘Lava’ and the ‘Kolkali’ and the fascinating spatial organisation of villages according to organic norms of sustainability. Access to the islands is regulated via permits by the Indian State at present in order to stay in line with the concerns of the environment.

the kavaratti islands

The set of coral islands is mostly being promoted by the local government setup under the Society for the Promotion of Nature Tourism and Sports. The islands of Kavaratti, Kadmat and Minicoy have been equipped with training facilities and instructors for deep-sea diving, snorkelling, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, wind-surfing and sailing in glass-bottomed boats. Additionally, the lagoons themselves offer ample scope for idyllic leisure, ranging from a lazy swim to kayak training. The fauna in the region is mostly fish – the famed barracuda, various kinds of tuna, eels, turtles home amidst an exquisite array of coral habitat. 

The sensitivity of the environment requires strict supervision of one’s personal habits – littering is strictly prohibited as is defacing or picking up/breaking off pieces of the coral as souvenir. A visit to the islands helps in empathising with the delicate concerns of sustainability and leaves one much wiser on many counts. The realisation helps – mostly when one takes a boat to the Dolphin Dive Center in Kavaratti, where the unique Gray Reef sharks and the Spotted Eagle Rays, which are some of the most beautiful and singular inhabitants in this part of the ocean. 

Distinctively more enthralling is the experience with diving or snorkeling in the shallow seas – soft coral reefs of the brightest colours, red and yellow, and caves with a large turtle population can potentially take your breath away! Under water, that may be risky but the experience of such a marine ecosystem is literally worth it.