The age of Ramaya dot na, where Rama chats online A unique retelling of the Ramayana weaves present-day online technology like instant messaging and gaming into the epic.

The age of Ramaya dot na, where Rama chats online

A unique retelling of the Ramayana weaves present-day online technology like instant messaging and gaming into the epic.

Science fiction author Arthur C Clarke once remarked that any technology sufficiently advanced than our own would seem like magic. Years later, it is technology that is trying to bring to life the magic of our mythologies. Google Indonesia has recently put some present-day online services in the hands of characters from the Ramayana. It is a unique blend of mythology, web technology and animation. The tale is divided into five short chapters, describing events such as Sita’s swayamvar, her kidnapping, Rama’s meeting with Hanuman and the burning of Lanka, the building of the bridge and the final battle. Though the language used is Indonesian, people who already know the story will have no problem following the narrative. It is fun to see King Janaka announce the swayamvar on Google Talk, and then uploading her picture online. Later, when Ravana’s sister Surpanaka is attacked by Lakshmana in the forest, she gives Ravana directions to Rama’s cottage via Google Maps. The vulture Jatayu who dies in an attempt to save Sita leaves behind a blog post telling Rama what happened. There is an element of gaming as well. When Maricha turns himself into a golden deer, you have to shoot it down with bow and arrow. Later, you have to align various blocks of the bridge to Lanka. In the final battle, you have to shoot Ravana. All in all, this simple reinterpretation of Ramayana points to the immersive ways in which we can tell stories using technology. Apart from highlighting Google’s online products, this project is a powerful example of what can be achieved with HTML 5, the new web standard.