Tracking Indian culture in Southeast Asia

The first rays of the sun cast a metallic glow on the blue-green crater of one of the world’s oldest volcanoes — Gunung Sumeru — in Indonesia. The belief is that the process of creation began from the rock-head that spews billowing columns of lava-laced smoke throughout the year. It is the seat of the Hindu deity of creation — Brahma, and is one of the early Hindu linkages between India and the Southeast Asian nations.

The many cultural and religious links between India and Southeast Asia are steeped in the folds of time.

Now veteran filmmaker S. Krishnaswamy seeks to capture on celluloid some of those linkages. The Sumeru is the take-off point for Krishnaswamy’s new 17-episode serial India Imprints, which traces the impact of ancient Indian spirituality, philosophy and culture on Southeast Asia that shares a long maritime and trade history with India.

"A large part of the region was colonized by the early Hindus who went to Java, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia as sailors and traders through the sea route," explained the filmmaker, who heads the 44-year-old documentary film production house Krishnaswamy Associates credited with movies like India 5555 and Indus Valley to Indira Gandhi.

, some episodes of which were screened this month in New Delhi, is sponsored by public broadcaster Prasar Bharati. It was shot by a 10-member crew led by Krishnaswamy and his wife Mohana in locations across Southeast Asia — Indonesia, including in ancient Java and Bali, besides Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

Gunung Sumeru, said Krishnaswamy, is an important symbol of the impact of ancient India in eastern Asia because the indigenous Tenga people of the area practised the ethnic creed of Brahma for 1,000 years and even built a temple devoted to the Holy Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

"The single most important aspect of Hindu influence in Southeast Asia is that wherever you go, you find that Lord Ram or Rama of the Indian epic Ramayana, an avatar of Vishnu, is a hero," Krishnaswamy said.

, supposedly written by Vedic sage Valmiki, is the story of the valiant Rama who fought the demon Ravana from Lanka, who had abducted his wife Sita, with the help of an army of jungle apes (monkeys) led by monkey-god Hanuman.

Rama rescued his wife and returned to his father’s kingdom Ayodhya, from where he was exiled, to establish Ram Rajya (utopian welfare state).

Almost all countries in Southeast Asia have their own versions of the Ramayana in local editions and local languages.

"The Ramayana was translated in the local Southeast Asian dialects during the early Christian era.

"The general story remains the same, barring a few oddities. For instance, in the Thai version of the Ramayana, Hanuman is married whereas in the Indian version, Hanuman is a bachelor," Krishnaswamy said.

The Indian epic Mahabharata also has an interesting twist in the local Indonesian version, says the filmmaker.

"Draupadi, the common wife of the five Pandava brothers in the Indian version, is married to only Dharma or Yudhisthira, the eldest of the five brothers, in the Indonesian edition."