Ravana in Malaysia and Indonesia
Updated On: 04 June, 2023 08:02 AM IST | Mumbai | Devdutt Pattanaik
This incorporation of Adam and Allah in the Ramayana is unique to the Southeast Asian narrations of the Ramayana.
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Illustration/Devdutt Pattanaik
The Ramayana has been retold by several communities and several people over a period of 2,000 years and over a region that spreads over 5,000 miles. Scholars have found the Ramayana retellings even in faraway places such as Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The story was taken there by seafaring merchants.
However, in these retellings, we find many variations due to a mix of local tales. This mixture makes the reading and narration more interesting. For example, the Ramayana which is narrated in Malaysia incorporates local Islamic lore, such as concepts of Nabi (Islamic prophet) Adam . We are told that Ravana was thrown out of his house for his misbehaviour by his parents. He comes to Lanka and in Lanka, he meets Nabi Adam. In Islamic lore, after Adam is thrown out of paradise he lands in Sarandeep, the island of Sri Lanka. Thus, Sarandeep is closely associated with Adam.
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