Note: I realise the risk of reviewing a piece of literature with religious context. However, read this post only if you are open to critically interpreting religious texts :)
I read this on the way to Taman Negara in about 3 hours. At the start of the year, I promised myself I’d read more feminist books with a female point-of-view. My eyes were opened by Volga’s take on the Hindu epic, Ramayana. Growing up in India for many years, I was exposed to a myriad cultures and beliefs. Naturally, I knew the brave tales of Ramayana but as I grew older, it occurred to me that not everything preached should be absolute. The portrayal of women was not entirely favourable towards them and it felt quite sexist and chauvinistic in parts.
This book was written entirely from Sita’s perspective. It is also written by a woman, enabling us to read a twist on the Hindu epic by a female. This is important because the male point-of-view is seldom saved from sexist ideologies (due to a number of factors, including the patriarchal world we live in). This epic was written millions of years ago but its morals are still revered today.
There is little background information provided because the stories in Ramayana are well-versed. One of the highlights was in the beginning itself: Sita meets a mutilated Surpanakha, who was Ravana’s sister. In the original tale, she is described to be demonic because she approached Rama and was smitten by him. Nothing harmful, right? Lakshan’s brother ended up cutting off her ears and nose out of anger and this snowballed into Ravana kidnapping Sita and we know how this ends…
That's when I felt like writing a story about Surpanakha's pain. I wondered why Sita and Surpanakha could not be friends. — Volga.
The point is, in this fresh take, Volga brings forth one of the most soulful conversations I’ve read between Sita and Surpanaka (during the time Sita lived in the forest after Rama's abandonment), discussing inner and outer beauty and how the male ego always had the final say for them. As the book beautifully progresses, it also shows a vulnerable Sita now faced with conflicting emotions about the people around her. For the longest time, she could never empathise with the other shunned women, like Ahalya and Urmila, who was her sister and Lakshman’s wife. Urmila went into a 14-year long solitude out of anger because Lakshman left her to go on exile. No one understood her and mythology deemed her to be sleeping the entire time but her perspective was very profound instead: she used all that time to reflect on the ways of the world and really think about the people she knew. It brought inner peace and it was eye-opening reading about the wisdom she attained.
There were many women before her—in the Ramayana itself—who were victims of insults, rejections, curses and neglect by the world, families and husbands. — Volga.
It may be argued that this piece of important feminist literature is a tale of fiction. But, no—it is anything but. The conversations might have been extrapolated from the 'real' Ramayana, but these female characters were shown to be vulnerable yet strong, ageing yet beautiful, and alone yet never lonely. That is what is important. Mythology and religion should never be taken out of context to suppress or oppress any person, regardless of gender, creed or class. Unfortunately, many important lessons that Ramayana holds have been misinterpreted—leading to an exacerbation of the dogmatism in India (and around the world).
Volga is a brave author who must be commended for bringing a larger spotlight to feminist Telugu literature. Read The Liberation of Sita by Volga, translated from the Telugu by T Vijay Kumar and C Vijayasree if you are intrigued by the female perspective from the beloved Sita. She is a symbol of hope, resilience and wisdom. Remember her for all the she stood for.
Rating: ★★★★★
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Did you like this book review? Leave a comment and share your thoughts! What are some other feminist books that I should read? Let me know!
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