Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c10.s3.t7.9

v2.c10.s3.t7.9

In India, *Ramayana* is received with admiration and through the ages in history, has turned into a Hindu canon. From the perspective of literature, it is a direct forerunner for classical Sanskrit poetry, and a great number of Sanskrit plays and epics of later generations have drawn materials from it. It has been translated into many local languages, such as Tamil by Kamban, Bengali by Krittibas and Hindi by Tulsidas, and some of them have a great literary value as well as a very important status in corresponding languages. Rama's stories are spread across entire southeast Asia through a variety of artistic forms, including translation, sculpture, painting, dancing, drama, puppet show, shadow play and the like, and its influence is huge and far-reaching, especially in Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Laos.