The Ramayana is painted in Thai monasteries. It is illustrated as bas- reliefs at Wat Po, a temple that stands on the tongue of land guarded by two canals. It is the nucleus from which modern Bangkok grew. Here repose the ashes of the first king of ruling Chakri dynasty. If Thailand has an omphalos, it is here. And the Ramakien consecrates it, which is the Thai pronunciation of Ramakirti. Painting dance-drama and sculpture are dominated by the Ramakien. In the timeless continuum of Thai perspective both Rama of Ayodhya and the historical Ram Khamheng (Rama the Valiant) of Sukhothai reign supreme. They are the deeper furnishings of the Thai mind. Wat Po enshrines the relics of the king who wrote himself into a relationship with Rama. The people bring him their flowers to this day.
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