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.
- ISBN: 9781554981458
- Author: Arni, Samhita
- Illustrator: Chitrakar, Moyna
- Published: 2011
- Themes: compassion, Hinduism, Legend, Loyalty, trust
- Descriptors: Asia, Awards, Graphic Novel, India, USBBY Outstanding International Book, Young Adult (ages 14-18)
- No. of pages: 152
This graphic novel takes us on two journeys one, to experience the mythology of India and the other to enjoy an amazing and unusual adventure. The story in words and pictures emphasizes the role of the female protagonist in a retelling of the epic, Sanskrit poem from India, Ramayana. The paintings use a scroll technique that is based on Indian picture storytelling traditions. The paintings came first, and then Arni provided a written narrative of the art. It is intriguing to see the feminist possibilities of the adventure. This version follows a tradition of regional retellings of the original story and builds on a retelling by a women who lived in the 16th century. The story is told in the voice of a queen. Magic, wizardry, demons and gods are the elements that capture the reader’s attention.