If you haven’t read Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, or about women in our epics, it’s a premise worth reading about. It’s worth pondering. It’s worth considering, and worth questioning. The answers aren’t convenient at all, but if anything, they’ll get you to question how deep-rooted some notions are within our society.
I first read Palace of Illusions when I came to University, and then read Forest of Enchantments today, which I think is a phenomenal piece of writing because it imparts emotion to a person whom society reveres for hiding her emotion throughout an epic.
I’ll post a full book review only once my exams get over.
However, I think our epics are also worth some of my time. In 2016 August, I purchased a translation of the Mahabharata, that Penguin was publishing, with an ambition to read all the volumes as translated and really get into them. I didn’t make it past book one. Now’s probably as good a time as any to get back into reading ancient Indian literature. I’m fortunate because my family is full of sources who can read Sanskrit and have read the texts and various commentaries to offer interpretative guidance and answer some difficult questions about human existence. It’s probably also time to consult them.
If you aren’t a reader, watch this:
Ignore your feelings about Zee, no matter what they are – because while I understand them, you’ll miss out on a masterclass in Historical Fiction.
Tejas Rao 