Rāmāyana in the Folk Tradition of India’s Northeast Region

Rāmāyaṇa is not merely a story but a living tradition. In India and in various parts of South Asia, Rāmāyaṇa has deep roots in the cultural fabric of the regions. Even though the earliest versions of the epic date back to thousands of years, the contemporaneity of the story cannot be overlooked. This book, Rāmāyana in the Folk Tradition of India’s Northeast Region, highlights that Valmiki’s telling is one among the numerous versions of the epic. The main focus of the book is on the representations of the epic in India’s northeast region within the larger South-east Asian communities. It takes into consideration the various kinds of Rāmāyana tellings which are an integral part of India’s northeast region and thus, looks at the plurality/multiplicity of the epic. This edited volume is divided into two parts; the first section concentrates on the oral tradition of the epic and the second one dwells upon the performative arts and visual arts related to the Rāmāyana.