The opera resembles Mozart's The Magic Flute in some ways; both operas adapt folk tales, in this case one from southern India, "describing a young couple undergoing rituals and trials to discover the transfiguring power of love."
Like Mozart's The Magic Flute, the opera has certain parallels; both are based on folk tales from southern India, involving a young couple who go through rites and tests to uncover the transforming power of love.