The Ramayana
The Ramayana, one of India’s oldest and most significant epic poems, has had a profound and long-standing impact on Southeast Asian culture for centuries. Its influence can be observed in various forms of art, literature, dance, and theater throughout the region.
In Thailand, evidence of the Ramayana dates back to the 17th century, when foreign visitors visited Ayutthaya and discovered a modified version of the epic poem called Ramakien, which was used as a basis for the Khon masked performance poems. Unfortunately, during the destruction of Ayutthaya by Burma in the late 18th century, most poems were lost, leaving only fragments behind. As a result, subsequent Thai kings, including King Taksin and Kings Rama I – VI, composed parts of the Ramakien drama, attempting to revive the original story.
However, it was during the reign of King Rama I that the most extensive and complete version of the Ramakien was created, incorporating all aspects of the original story. He also commissioned the painting of the entire story of Ramakien, consisting of 178 pictures, around the walls of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which can still be admired today. Notably, Ramakien and Ramayana share the same plot but exist in different universes.
The Ramakien and mural paintings play significant roles in Thai culture, and understanding them can provide valuable insights into Thai society. For instance, Thai chess is a popular game, roughly 80% similar to European chess. One of its endgame puzzles is called “Ram entered royal urn” (พระรามเข้าโกศ), which is depicted in the uploaded image. While most pieces in Thai chess are identical to their European counterparts, the bishop can only move one square diagonally.
Surprisingly, in this particular setup, black is expected to resign in European chess. However, in Thai chess, black still has a chance to survive because once one side is left with only the king, the other side has limited turns to make checkmate. If the turns run out, the game ends in a draw, making the endgame in Thai Chess extremely crucial. In this puzzle, white has only five turns left. I have also included the solution, but you are encouraged to try and solve it yourself first.
Towards the end of the Ramakien story, it is mentioned that Ram had entered a royal urn. The story occurred after Ram had ordered the execution of Sida, but his brother Lak secretly saved her by releasing her into the forest and fooling Ram into thinking she was dead. Ram later realized his mistake and asked Sida to return, but she refused. Ram decided to fake his death to lure Sida to come. When a king or a high-ranking person dies, a funeral ceremony will be held, and the body will be placed in a hunched sitting position inside an urn.
The story is illustrated in the 165th picture of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha wall, and the reason why the chess puzzle, called “Rama enters urn-shaped casket,” will be revealed if the chess puzzle is solved.
Note: Thai people still use a royal urn for the funeral ceremony until today for the high-rank people. I have included a picture of the funeral ceremony of King Rama IX.
Supoj
