PM Modi witnesses Ramayana performance in Brazil

The Ramayana was performed by the students of Vishwa Vidya Gurukulam, a Brazilian organisation dedicated to promoting Vedanta and Sanskrit.

The founder of Vishwa Vidya Gurukulam, Jonas Masetti also known as Acharya Vishwanath, welcomed PM Modi by reciting 'Sanskrit Mantra'.

Speaking with ANI, Masetti said Ramayan is a tribute to 'Dharm'.

"Ramayan is a tribute to Dharm. Ram represents Dharm and performing Ramayan and being in touch with Ram Katha is a way of purifying ourselves and having like a better way of living. It took like six years (to prepare). In the beginning, we were very nervous and emotional because it meant a lot to us," he said.

Masetti said that PM Modi was "very impacted" from the performance. He also encouraged Indian Youth to believe in Indian way of life.

"I'm very glad that he could receive that... I get very sad when I hear that the youth in India are not so much interested in the Vedic tradition and all the old ways. I have to tell you that the way of the West, you think is very dry and very poor, so don't fall for that. You have a very nice culture inside your home," he said.

Mariana Viana who played Lord Ram said that she's been studying Vedanta, Sanskrit and reciting mantras for the past eight years.

"I studied Vedanta for eight years and Sanskrit and Mantras. Ramayan is the path, the journey of Ram in his fight against evil against Adharma and we've been studying the Ramayan in our Sanskrit classes... We did this performance - an adaptation of this bigger play and it's an honour, it's a blessing that we are able to perform for the Prime Minister of India," she said.

Gleifer Vaz Alves who played Lord Hanuman said that Hanuman represents devotion to the Dharma.

"To prepare for the play, it was more than one year but we also studied Sanskrit for more than three years and I am very grateful to my Sanskrit teacher. The main lesson from Ramayan is Dharma and Hanuman represents the devotion to the Dharma," he said.

PM Modi attended the G20 Leaders' Summit in Brazil, where he emphasised India's role in combating hunger and poverty. He also held the second India-Australia bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit. (ANI)