MYTHOLOGICAL WOMEN

We celebrate the festival of Dassera tomorrow, which celebrates the victory of good over evil – victory of Ram over a 10-headed monster, Ravan.

The story is complex, as boundaries between good and evil keep blurring all the time. The so-called monster is a learned scholar and a king with several blessings to his credit, and cannot be painted all black.

This post is not about religion, but a view of how women were treated in ancient society.

Stories have been re-written with a feminist perspective, and one of those books is “Liberation of Sita” by Volga. I had posted a review of the book in 2017.

The Liberation of Sita – a book by Volga

I just revisit a few female characters the book mentions.

Shupnakha

She is the monster Ravan’s sister, who takes the initiative to propose to a man. In return, she gets her nose and ears…