Thai dancers dressed as Sita and Hanuman perform at Bangkok Hotel
About this photograph
- Creator
- Margery H. Freeman
- Date created
- Unknown
- Location
- Bangkok, Thailand
- License
- This photograph copyright ©2006. Terms of use
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Thai dancers dressed as Sita and Hanuman perform segments from the Ramayana epic at a Bangkok Hotel. Sita is recognizable by her crown headdress and long gold-threaded robes. Hanuman is recognizable by his white costume and monkey mask. Here Sita smiles and balances on her left foot, with her right hand on her waist. Sita’s left hand is extended and held by Hanuman who dances right beside her.
In the Ramayana, the white monkey god Hanuman, an incarnation of the Hindu god Siva, serves Rama, an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, as Rama seeks to recover his wife Sita who is abducted by the demon king Ravana. This scene likely shows when Hanuman finds Sita trapped on the demon island of Lanka and consoles her with Rama’s plan to rescue her.
Classical dance troupes in Southeast Asia once existed only under the patronage and command of the royal palaces. Now classical-style dance is taught in a variety of educational institutions and dance troupes often perform for tourists in hotels or other public venues.
