The Forest of Enchantments

I picked this book up at the Bengaluru airport, while on a holiday trip with the family. The book became a part of that trip and is now one of the memories from the trip.

The Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, is the Ramayan told from Sita’s point of view. It’s Sitayana and it should be read along with various Ramayanas.

It brings out not just Sita’s personality & character but also of the key women in Ramayana like Urmila, Ahalya, Kaikeyi, Mandodari, Surpanakha, Tara and Shabari. The book humanizes the mysterious queens, feared demonesses, and the warriors on either side of the war in Lanka.

My view of Sita’s character transformed after reading this Ramayana from her point of view. I often wondered why she endured what she did. Her quite courage demonstrated again & again, practice of martial arts, she interactions with Shiva’s bow, her outlook on love, compassion, and forgiveness, were revelations.

The play between public role versus private life, between duty & love for family, especially of leaders, are brought out well and makes the reader think deeply about what is right and wrong. Through the kings – Janaka, Dasharatha, Ram and Raavan – the leadership questions come up throughout the book.

Another aspect of leadership & character – mental strength – is a subject that is woven through the book and its characters.  

The subject of environment, about the increasing human encroachment into forest land, impacting the original residents of our forests through the tension between humans and the rakshasas of the wilderness, is a subject in the book. Relevant thousands of years ago and relevant now!   

I recommend that every young man and girl should read this, as much as adults. It would help build perspectives, see alternate viewpoints and develop deeper understanding of statecraft & those in positions of power or in leadership roles, about values & purpose, about love, marriages & wars.