Ritual theater has long been a means by which mythology has been transmitted in Asia. It is particularly important for illiterate audiences but has also remained popular—especially in parts of India and in Java and Bali in Indonesia—among the educated. There are ritual temple plays in parts of India to celebrate the life of Draupadī (Draupadī), for example, and any number of dramatic versions of the Mahābhārata (see Mahābhārata) and the Rāmāyaṇa (see Rāmāyaṇa) can be found there, as well as in Java and Bali. Perhaps the most elaborate ritual drama is the Balinese one based on the Rāmāyaṇa, where masked versions of the demon Rāvaṇa (see Rāvaṇa) and a chorus of Hanumān's (see Hanumān) monkeys play significant roles in Rāma's quest (see Rāma) for Sītā (see Sītā).
