Rama stories in Indonesia

Any claim that Indonesia has a rich cultural heritage will remain unsubstantiated unless Indonesians themselves undertake to publish material regarding this heritage. My purpose, then, in writing about Rama Stories in Indonesia is to provide a humble contribution in the effort to make known the richness of Indonesia's heritage. We believe that in the creation of a prosperous Indonesia the Government of lndonesia should base its actions on the Indonesian Identity (Kepribadian Indonesia). The publikation of this book should also contribute to a wider understanding of Indonesia's identity.

Although ports of this book are more or less academic in nature, nonetheless it should still be useful for foreign tourists as it provides a deeper understanding of contemporary Indonesian culture. An appendix has been added especially for the use of tourists to enable them to follow the story of the Rama reliefs on the ballustrades of the Ciwa-temple at Prambanan.

Djakarta, October 1969, Prof. Dr. Sutjipto Wirjosuparto.