Reading Options

Ramayana Version 

After reading through the course materials, I came to a conclusion that it will be best for me to choose the Public Domain Ramayana version, which is an anthology. The reason I chose the PD version, is because of the ease of accessibility. Since all my classes are online, I do not have to go the library to get a hard copy of the R.K. version. 

Another aspect that drew me to this version is the fact that illustrations are available. Since I am a very visual person, I believe this will assist me in understanding the story line better. The more links, comments, notes and illustrations available, the better. Although I am more in favor of modern language, I think it will be interesting to experience the "old-fashioned" language - words that are more well known in the past. Videos, as a mean of learning really made me interested in this version because it can help me make important notes that I might have misread.

My first encounter with epic story lines was back 2013 when I attended Collin County Community College and I was required to take an English Comp class. I found it very confusing in the beginning and it frustrated me, but as the course progressed throughout the weeks, I was able to understand the significance behind epics. I have seen movies such as Braveheart, Forrest Gump, etc before but never in a million years did I think of it as epic movies (I just learned something new). The Quran was mentioned and studied during this class and Christianity was also discussed, which again, shed light and perspective on a lot of questions I had and it allowed me to look at it from a different perspective. Although I have never traveled to India, watched Indian films or have Indian heritage, I look forward to learning even more about their culture and beliefs. This will allow me to appreciate other cultures and have an open mind to their customs and ways of life. 

 

Source: (Kunti, Wayang purwa shadow puppet Wikipedia Commons)

The above image instantly drew me back to African art styles, which is why I chose this picture. After doing some research on this picture, I read that Wayang refers to a theatrical act with puppets or human dancers, which absolutely fascinated me because dancing is a huge part of African cultures, religions and ceremonies.