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Rama and Laksman find fake dead Sita (Thai Ramayana mural)

About this photograph

Creator
Margery H. Freeman
Date created
Unknown
Location
Bangkok, Thailand
License
This photograph copyright ©2006. Terms of use

See this photograph in context

  • The Ramayana: The Hindu epic The Ramayana is retold through the mural, painting, and dance of Southeast Asia. (Page 4.4)

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Rama and Laksman find fake dead Sita (Thai Ramayanan mural at Emerald Buddha Temple)

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In a mural detail at the Emerald Buddha Temple, Rama and Laksman find what they believe is the dead corpse of Princess Sita. In reality, the demon Ravana’s niece has transformed herself into a perfect likeness of Sita and floated downstream to Rama to trick him.

In this image, Rama (with green skin), his younger brother Laksman, and Ravana’s niece posing as the dead Sita all are are wearing royal Siamese clothes and tall pointed crowns painted with gold leaf paint. The fake Sita’s head rests upon the seated Rama’s knee.

Both the seated Rama and Laksman hold their hands upward in gestures of despair over Sita’s apparent death although their faces are depicted as calm to emphasize their refined and noble character. The faces of two of their monkey king allies are partly visible in the lower right.

This image was photographed in August 1984.