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Sita's Ramayana
Sita's Ramayana | Samhita Arni, Moyna Chitrakar
5 posts | 4 read | 7 to read
The Ramayana is an epic poem by the Hindu sage Valmiki, written in ancient Sanskrit sometime after 300 BC. It is an allegorical story that contains important Hindu teachings, and it has had great influence on Indian life and culture over the centuries. Children are often encouraged to emulate the virtues of the two main characters -- Rama and Sita. The Ramayana is frequently performed as theater or dance, and two Indian festivals -- Dussehra and Divali -- celebrate events in the story. This version of The Ramayana is told from the perspective of Sita, the queen. After she, her husband Rama and his brother are exiled from their kingdom, Sita is captured by the proud and arrogant king Ravana and imprisoned in a garden across the ocean. Ravana never stops trying to convince Sita to be his wife, but she steadfastly refuses his advances. Eventually Rama comes to her rescue with the help of the monkey Hanuman and his army. But Rama feels he can't trust Sita again. He forces Sita to undergo an ordeal by fire to prove herself to be true and pure. She is shocked and in grief and anger does so. She emerges unscathed and they return home to their kingdom as king and queen. However, suspicion haunts their relationship, and Sita once more finds herself in the forest, but this time she is pregnant. She has twins and continues to live in the forest with them. The story is exciting and dramatic, with many turns of plot. Magic animals, snakes, divine gods, demons, sorcerers and a vast cast of characters all play a part in the fierce battles fought to win Sita back. And in the process the story explores ideas of right vs. wrong, compassion, loyalty, trust, honor and the terrible price of war.
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thecraftylibrarian
Sita's Ramayana | Samhita Arni, Moyna Chitrakar
Pickpick

Interesting read. Great perspective.

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Travelinglibrarian
Sita's Ramayana | Samhita Arni, Moyna Chitrakar
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needleminding
Sita's Ramayana | Samhita Arni, Moyna Chitrakar
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Pickpick

I've never read Ramayana (Bengali version or otherwise), so I didn't have a frame of reference while reading this, which wasn't a problem at all. I really liked Sita's perspective, and how she established her own honor and dignity in a situation in which she was powerless. 💚💚💚

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Lindy
Sita's Ramayana | Samhita Arni, Moyna Chitrakar
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"She was abducted, rescued, then doubted. She returns to the forest, sad and alone."

brendanmleonard Wow - gorgeous art! 8y
Lindy @brendanmleonard Yes! The irregular page layouts feature large panels that emphasize ornamental details in the paintings, as well as taking advantage of the angles and curves of Chitrakar's overall graphic design. Love it. 8y
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Lindy
Sita's Ramayana | Samhita Arni, Moyna Chitrakar
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Pickpick

A fantastic retelling of a classic Sanskrit epic. If you've never read any version of the Ramayana, this is a fine place to start. If you're already familiar with the tale, there are significant twists in this Bengali version, beginning with the fact that it's told from a woman's point of view.
The images are adapted from Moyna Chitrakar's wordless scroll paintings, with text by Samhita Arni. #diversebooks

pppooraikul Interesting! I always wonder about Sita's feeling being in a harsh male-dominated literature and all. By the way, have you read another Sanskrit epic called the Mahabharata? I love it even more than Ramayana! 8y
Lindy @pppooraikul I've encountered it piecemeal. I love the retelling of it by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni 8y
pppooraikul That one is really great. I'd better check out Sita's Ramayana sooner than later. 😉 8y
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