Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Lanka's Princess, by Kavita Kane

Lanka's Princess, by Kavita Kanè

Whenever we think about the Ramayana, the only characters that come to our heads are Rama, Lakshman, Sita, Ravana and Kaikeyi. To think about it, one of the most misunderstood characters in this whole epic is Surpanakha. The evil sister of Ravana, who instigated Ravana to kidnap the innocent Sita, is the image portrayed if you read the Ramayana. Once, when I was reading the Ramayana, a question popped into my head. “Why hasn’t the history of Surpanakha been described? How was she like in her childhood? Was she evil from the start?” Was my question. Then I came across this book called ‘Lanka’s Princess’ by Kavita Kane. This book was the answer to my question. Lanka’s Princess, by Kavita Kane, talks about Surpanakha from the time of her birth till her death. It portrays her in a different manner, more in a sympathetic one. Before I tell you my views on the book, I’d like to tell give you a hint of the story.