Yamayana

yes, thats how Ramayana is called in Myanma (or Burma!)

excerts from a very nice article from 'Ramayana in Myanmar's heart':

Just as the Illiad and the Odyssey, the two epic poems of the ancient Greek poet Homer laid the foundation of Western literature and contributed much to the hellenization of Europe, Ramayana and Mahabharata the two ancient Sanskrit epics of India exerted a profound impact upon the cultures of South East Asia and have played no small role in the indianisation of the major portion of that region. Out of ASEAN TEN at least seven nations Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia have received the influence of Hindu culture since the early days of Indian colonisation.

Though the themes of both epics are the eulogization of moral and physical courage of gallant warrior heros, Mahabharata deals mostly with the principles of moral conduct whereas Ramayana records the bold exploits and love affair of a hero prince Rama. Besides battles in the Mahabharata were fought between men and men but in the Ramayana war was fought between men and monkeys on one side and ogres (demons) on the other. The two also differ in the location of their origin. The Mahabharata originated in Northern India. The ancient kingdom of Kausala located to the northeast of the Ganges River was the birthplace of the Ramayana epic. The Mahabharata was a combined work of many authors. Ramayana was the brain child of one writer and he was a Rishi (Hermit) named Valmiki. It is not surprising that Ramayana is more appealing in terms of entertainment than Mahabharata.

When and how Ramayana came to take pride of place in Myanmar's heart is one of academic debate. But the oral tradition of the Rama story can be traced as far back as the reign of King Anawrahta(A.D.1044-77 ) the founder of the first Myanmar Empire. In later periods there are ample archaeological, historical and literary evidence to show that Ramayana entered into Myanmar culture at an early date. At old Bagan is a Vishnu Temple known as Nat Hlaung Kyaung which is adorned with some stone figures of Rama and Parasu Rama. The Rama story is depicted in the Jataka series of terra-cotta plaques on the panels of Petlcik Pagoda in Bagan.

In a stone inscription in the Mon language, King Kyanzittha ( A.D.1084-1113 ) of Bagan dynasty proclaimed that in his previous existence he was a close relative of Rama of Ayodhya. So we may say that the Rama tradition had been established in Myanmar culture since the Bagan period. Rama has been continuously present in the cultures of the post-Bagan periods. In all media of visual arts and all forms of literary art, Ramayana was the favourite theme. Contacts with neighbouring countries with Hindu cultural influence such as Linzin(Laos), Zimme(Chiengmei), Ayuthia(Thailand) and Malayu(Malasia) further contributed to the development of Ramayana as the popular theme in Myanmar performing arts.