File:19th-century Ramayana manuscript, Rama Thagyin, Myanmar version, Ravana (Dathagiri) dressed as a begging monk to deceive Sita (Thida).jpg

English: The Ramayana is a Sanskrit language Hindu epic attributed to Valmiki, whose first redaction is dated between 5th-century to 4th-century BCE (see J. L. Brockington Academic The Sanskrit Epics, p. 379 ISBN: 90-04-10260-4. ). The text has been popular on the Indian subcontinent since the ancient times. It arrived in southeast Asia about mid 1st-millennium CE, and has been popular ever since as evidenced by reliefs on major temples and in manuscripts. It has influenced both literary and performance arts in many southeast Asia countries. The story has been adapted and revised to some extent to suit regional cultures and audiences.

The above artwork was created in or before the 19th-century in Myanmar (Burma). Literary and historical records suggest that the Ramayana story was orally transmitted within Burma by the 11th-century. The story has local names of characters such as Rama as Rama Zatdaw, Sita is called Thido and Ravana is called Dathagiri. It has been popular, with even Buddhist monks of the Burmese Theravada tradition referring to the Ramayana as a noble saga. The most well known written Burmese version of the Ramayana is Rama Thagyin, published in 1775 CE by Aung Phyo. The pagoda of Maha Loka Marazein of Thakhuttanai narrates the entire story of Rama in 347 stone relief sculptures.

The photo above is from a manuscript now preserved at the British Library (Manuscript ID: Or.14178). It has 16 folios, and the entire collection can be seen here.

The photo above is of a 2D artwork from the text that was itself authored more than 2,000 years ago, and a manuscript that was acquired in the 19th-century. Therefore Wikimedia Commons PD-Art licensing guidelines apply. Any rights I have as a photographer is herewith donated to wikimedia commons under CC 4.0 license.