During PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Kuala Lumpur, the Indian diaspora presented a traditional Wayang Kulit shadow puppet performance titled ‘Titah Seri Rama’ by artists from Akademi Arjunasukma. The mesmerizing show unfolded behind intricately carved leather puppets illuminated against a white screen, with dalang puppeteers voicing multiple characters through song, narration, and gamelan accompaniment.
‘Titah Seri Rama’ draws from Hikayat Seri Rama, Malaysia’s localized Ramayana adaptation, where Rama’s commands embody dharma transcending Indian origins into Southeast Asian cultural syntax. The performance masterfully blended Sanskrit epic ethos with Javanese-Malay aesthetics, showcasing shared civilizational threads connecting Bharat to Nusantara through millennia of maritime cultural exchange.
PM Modi praised the presentation, highlighting the Ramayana’s timeless resonance, uniting nations through universal moral narratives preserved across linguistic and geographical boundaries. Akademi Arjunasukma’s artistry demonstrated UNESCO-recognized Wayang Kulit mastery, adapting Hindu epics into local idioms while retaining the core dharmic principles that guide righteous kingship.
The Kuala Lumpur event underscored the Indian-Malaysian civilizational continuum, where Rama’s valor manifests through shadow theatre traditions outliving empires yet remaining vibrantly relevant.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Kuala Lumpur visit featured Akademi Arjunasukma’s exquisite Wayang Kulit rendition of ‘Titah Seri Rama,’ masterfully illustrating Ramayana’s enduring cross-cultural resonance between India and Malaysia through centuries-old shadow puppet artistry.
