Yesterday, I had a chance to watch a marvellous play of the "Ramayana" performed by Kalakshetra theatre and presented by the Embassy of India as a part of Bangkok's 7th International Festival of Dance and Music at the Thailand Cultural Centre. With a presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the event was even more prestigious and auspicious.

The Ramayana is a well-known Hindu epic originally written in Sanakrit and contained some 24,000 verses in seven volumes. It tells the story of Prince Rama of Ayodhya whose wife, Sita, is abducted by the demon king Ravana from Lanka. Thailand adopted this ancient epic in the name of "Ramakien."

Kalakshetra theatre is one of India's premier institutions devoted to the performing arts and has been recognised by the Indian parliament as an institution of national importance.

Back to the show, it was presented in the form of a dance-drama employing the classical Indian dance style of "Bharatanatyam." The talented dancers presented wonderful dances supported by live music from Indian musicians and narrators/singers. All in all, the performance was enjoyable and educational. I learned that the story of Ramayana in original version is of great difference from Thai version of the epic. This reflected different ways of thought in the same story.

Since 1995, the Japan Foundation Asia Center has put on "The Asian Cartoon Exhibition" as a medium to convey an understanding among Asian society. The theme of the 8th Asian Cartoon Exhibition, which was presented in Japan in 2003, is 「生きがい」 or "The Meaning of Life." That year could be marked as a particularly difficult year to live by for people around the world with an international terrorism, the wars in Iraq and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) problem, just to name a few. The life in Asia is, by no means, easy  and the meaning of it was interpreted through the eyes of 13 cartoonists from 11 Asian countries.

The exhibition has traveled from Japan to China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines and, at last, it is presented here in Thailand (for limited time only, of course.) Those who are interested could go and enjoy the exhibition for free in Bangkok at the Japan Foundation Art Space, located at the 10th Floor of Sermmit Tower on Sukhumvit 21 (Asoke) Road. The exhibition is open on Monday to Friday at 09.00 to 19.00 and Saturday at 09.00 to 17.00 from July 15th to August 13th, 2005.