Though I have never done a book review ever, this is my heartfelt feeling which overflowed after I read this book. I could not contain to myself the urge to tell the whole world how Amish Tripathi has created a masterpiece!
It was again a recreational trip to Wayanad with my fellow Abofians. Since, it was a daylong journey I opened this book to read it and it engrossed me so much that I could not keep it down until I finished it. Tripathi has enchanted the readers with his brilliant character building of Sita – synonymous to an empowered modern Indian woman!
As a kid, born and raised in a South Indian Brahmin family, it’s obvious that we hear sacred stories of Ramayana, Mahabharata, Devi Purana, Bhagwata and other Vedic Scriptures in story format. It was part and parcel of my childhood to listen to at least one such story every day, either from mom, maternal grandma, paternal grandma, aunts and uncles, since everyone loved to tell mythological stories, I loved listening to them. Sometimes when relatives came home it would be a bumper because you get to hear new stories and more than one story a day! When I started studying away from home that’s what I missed the most, not the home food, and more and more off late.
I read the Shiva Trilogy awed and it completely changed my perception about Lord Shiva. But the Ramachandra Series have awoken my inner patriot and a pride towards Ancient India. Coming to the Book Sita, no other book down the history has had such a large impression on me as this! We have all heard and read about Ramayana, and almost every Sita is depicted as obedient wife who follows her husband’s every word – like the 14 years of exile, being helpless when kidnaped, the Agni Pariksha and finally abandoning her husband to defend his honour. Every time I heard the male chauvinistic approach it irked me and made me feel something great is missing from these stories.
But, my heart has been overwhelmingly filled after I read Amish’s version of Ramayana where Ram’s ‘the ideal human being’ has been explained logically and it is real. That’s due to all his sufferings which made him an extremely strong yet a soft personality.
Coming back to Sita where she is discovered by Sunaina who herself is a great leader and an empowered woman. This is a book where the character of a woman is the main hero not the mere beauty.
The Sita we all can look up to
She is the creator
She is the destroyer
She is the Vishnu!
She the shaper of destinies, not just her own but of those around her and her tribes. She is the most brilliant warrior, a strategist apart from being a fine statesman and a true leader! This is just a mere paragraph but Amish has gone to great extends, researching on each character, his facts intervene with the fiction he creates effortlessly at all intervals. This book is a multilayer research put forth on the present day Indian scenarios. Amish’s feminism rescues Ramayana from pettiness of womanly jealousy and empowers even the most villainous women. Manthara – a powerful businesswoman seeking revenge. Queen Sunaina – pragmatic state maker. Man hating Samichi – Sita’s attendant raising from being a police chief to prime minister. Kaushalya – the mother who brought up Ram and molded Ram’s and Dasharath’s character with her pure love. Kaikeyi being a side note.
The traditional Ramayana is interpreted in modern manner by imbibing present day worries of the society, happenings like Joty Singh’s gang rape and letting of the juvenile offender, beautiful voice of Annapurna Devi, lurking threat of the ISIS, even the importance of Jallikattu explained methodically, all making socio-political strategies laid out there. Brave descriptions of warfare, casteism remaining a major issue.
This book is not a mere romanticized novel of a perfect couple and their life, but a constant remainder to the reader to give a thought on the way of life we are leading. Are we patriotic enough? Are we giving back enough to the land that we are born to? Are we, law abiding? Are we true Indians?
Do give me a review on how you felt after reading this and the book.
