Book Review 39
Name Of The Book : The Liberation Of Sita
Author : Volga translated by T. Vijay Kumar & C. Vijayasree
Publisher : Harper Perennial (An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers)
Year : 2016
Category : Fiction
Review :
Valmiki's Ramayana is the story of Rama's exile and return to Ayodhya - that of a triumphant king who will always do right by his subjects. In Volga's retelling, it is Sita who, after being abandoned by Purushottam Rama, embarks on an arduous journey to self-realization. Along the way, she meets extraordinary women who have broken free from all that held them back : husbands, sons, and their notions of desire, beauty and chastity. The minor women characters of the epic as we know it - Surpanakha, Renuka, Urmila and Ahalya - steer Sita towards an unexpected resolution. Meanwhile, Rama too must reconsider and weigh out his roles as the king of Ayodhya and as a man deeply in love with his wife. A powerful subversion of India's most popular tale of morality, choice and sacrifice, The Liberation Of Sita opens up new spaces within the old discourse, enabling women to review their lives and experiences afresh. This is Volga at her feminist best. This book is a slim collection five stories. All of them draw on the Ramayana and have Sita as the principal character. Each story is independent and yet connected. In each of them Sita learns a lesson that facilitates her liberation. Interestingly, it is the minor characters in Valmiki's epic - Surpanakha, Renuka,Urmila and Ahalya - who occupy centre stage and assume a major role in educating Sita. The title story signals Sita's emergence as the liberated one. 'The Reunion' narrates the story of Sita meeting Surpakha in the forest. 'The Music of the Earth' is a retelling of Ahalya's story. Renuka, the wife of Sage Jamadagni, whom her own son Parasurama beheads in obedience to his father's injunction, is the spokesperson of the story, 'The Sand Pot'. 'The Shackled', the last story in the collection, reads like an extended interior monologue of Rama. Volga's re-visionist myth-making thus opens new spaces within the old discourse, enabling women to view their life and experiences from the gynocentric perspectives. They recreate a world of freedom in which they not only willingly bear the responsibility of their own survival, but also have a sense of joy and complete freedom. Women are no longer means to serve someone else's ends, nor are they merely the prizes in men's quests. On the contrary, they are questers seeking their own salvation.
I have read books written from the point of view of Draupadi and I had always wanted to read something from Sita's point of view. I have always felt that the whole idea of Agnipariksha was unfair to Sita. This book has portrayed this beautifully. It does not blame anyone but calls out the misogyny and patriarchy prevalent in the story and the society. Care has been taken so that the meaning and the message of the book are not lost in translation. This book will make the reader delve into the mindsets of the people and how they perceive women. Volva is a feminist of the truest kind and her work is an eye-opener. Also, it is rare that we see stories where Surpanakha, Ahalya, Urmila and Renuka are the lead characters. They were never given much importance in the Ramayana and we have never got an opportunity to understand what went through their minds. This book has become one of my favourites and I urge all of you to read it.
Rating : 5/5
Name Of The Book : The Liberation Of Sita
Author : Volga translated by T. Vijay Kumar & C. Vijayasree
Publisher : Harper Perennial (An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers)
Year : 2016
Category : Fiction
Review :
Valmiki's Ramayana is the story of Rama's exile and return to Ayodhya - that of a triumphant king who will always do right by his subjects. In Volga's retelling, it is Sita who, after being abandoned by Purushottam Rama, embarks on an arduous journey to self-realization. Along the way, she meets extraordinary women who have broken free from all that held them back : husbands, sons, and their notions of desire, beauty and chastity. The minor women characters of the epic as we know it - Surpanakha, Renuka, Urmila and Ahalya - steer Sita towards an unexpected resolution. Meanwhile, Rama too must reconsider and weigh out his roles as the king of Ayodhya and as a man deeply in love with his wife. A powerful subversion of India's most popular tale of morality, choice and sacrifice, The Liberation Of Sita opens up new spaces within the old discourse, enabling women to review their lives and experiences afresh. This is Volga at her feminist best. This book is a slim collection five stories. All of them draw on the Ramayana and have Sita as the principal character. Each story is independent and yet connected. In each of them Sita learns a lesson that facilitates her liberation. Interestingly, it is the minor characters in Valmiki's epic - Surpanakha, Renuka,Urmila and Ahalya - who occupy centre stage and assume a major role in educating Sita. The title story signals Sita's emergence as the liberated one. 'The Reunion' narrates the story of Sita meeting Surpakha in the forest. 'The Music of the Earth' is a retelling of Ahalya's story. Renuka, the wife of Sage Jamadagni, whom her own son Parasurama beheads in obedience to his father's injunction, is the spokesperson of the story, 'The Sand Pot'. 'The Shackled', the last story in the collection, reads like an extended interior monologue of Rama. Volga's re-visionist myth-making thus opens new spaces within the old discourse, enabling women to view their life and experiences from the gynocentric perspectives. They recreate a world of freedom in which they not only willingly bear the responsibility of their own survival, but also have a sense of joy and complete freedom. Women are no longer means to serve someone else's ends, nor are they merely the prizes in men's quests. On the contrary, they are questers seeking their own salvation.
I have read books written from the point of view of Draupadi and I had always wanted to read something from Sita's point of view. I have always felt that the whole idea of Agnipariksha was unfair to Sita. This book has portrayed this beautifully. It does not blame anyone but calls out the misogyny and patriarchy prevalent in the story and the society. Care has been taken so that the meaning and the message of the book are not lost in translation. This book will make the reader delve into the mindsets of the people and how they perceive women. Volva is a feminist of the truest kind and her work is an eye-opener. Also, it is rare that we see stories where Surpanakha, Ahalya, Urmila and Renuka are the lead characters. They were never given much importance in the Ramayana and we have never got an opportunity to understand what went through their minds. This book has become one of my favourites and I urge all of you to read it.
Rating : 5/5