I read Ramayan for the first time when I was very young, yet the story had a long-lasting impact on me even then. I still remember how enthralled I was with Hanuman, and how I always felt that there was so much more to Sita than being a woman with irrevocable sufferings. The forest of enchantments, probably portrayed the perfect picture of Ramayan, that I would like to cherish for a very long time in my mind.
Needless to mention the story narrated from the perspective of Sita, creates a beautiful enigma in your mind that takes you through a beautiful version of the tales of the generally ignored female characters like Ahilya, Urmila, Kaikeyi, Mandodari, and Surpnakha. Chitra’s dotted style of leaving amazing thoughts throughout the book makes you love the book even more. For instance, "it's not enough to merely love someone. even if we love them with our entire being, even if we're willing to commit the most heinous sin for their well-being. We must understand and respect the values that drive them. We must want what they want, not what we want for them."
The story covers an entire circle starting with Sita constructing her own version of Sitayan feeling the need to include the tales of all those women who were left off in Valmiki’s Ramayan by narrating the tale of being found by Raja Janak in a field, having special attachment towards forests and her ability of healing, falling in Love with Ram, marrying into Raghu dynasty, following her love to 14 years of exile, her atrocities in Lanka, her coming to know that she is the daughter Mandodari had abandoned as she would bring doom to Ravan as prophesized, her performing agree-pariksha to prove her purity, her returning as Ram’s Laxmi to Ayodha, and being abandoned again leading her to give birth to Lav and kush alone and to finally resting in her real adobe of mother earth and father fire depicts the strength of Sita in an astoundingly majestic manner. Sita’s love for Ram throughout the book is beautifully described through different philosophies some of which strike you with jolts of absolute enchantments. But for me what strikes out the most is the portrayal of Sita's character in the most relevant and dignified manner. This book leaves you with tears, not of sorrow for the despondent life that Sita had, but of content, for the power, she held within herself to endure everything, yet knowing when to stand up and say 'Enough' in a world that is prerogative of the men.
Publisher - Picador.
Genre - Mythological Fiction.
Publishing year - 2019.
Pages - 372.
Grab your copy - https://www.amazon.in/Forest-Enchantments-Chitra-Banerjee-Divakaruni/dp/9353025982/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3RRCFYUI6AXSM&dchild=1&keywords=the+forest+of+enchantments+chitra+banerjee+divakaruni&qid=1586201082&sprefix=the+forest+%2Caps%2C323&sr=8-1
True indeed! Sita is my favorite character from Ramayana too... it's really great to have a feminine author highlighting the atrocities which were prevelent since long back to women,even to the woman who herself was an incarnation of Goddess Mahalaxmi. It's an immense nectar that would encourage the oprressed and depressed women of our society,so that they can get a source of bravery and recognition to fight off and win against this tyranny.
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