Deconstructing Sita from Varied Perspectives: A Reading of Nandini Sahu’s Sita (A Poem) and Vasanti Shankaranarayanan’s To Sita

Abstract

Mythology, associated with a culture or institution or a person involves historical events and supernatural beings. Myths that feature gods, goddesses, and heroes having god like qualities, placed lower in the divine hierarchy are mostly very old and dominant beliefs of the period when science, philosophy and technology were not as developed, advanced and precise. Myths explain natural phenomena as well as prescribed rituals and ceremonies to the people and provide a moral code by which to live. The great Indian myth Ramayana is profoundly influential and has been recounted for generations. Though there are various interpretations of the story, the main outline remains the same, with Rama and Sita as the idealized versions of man and woman. The Ramayana has been altered many times by subsequent rewriting and critical revision.