He is even fatally injured during the war against Ravan. Urmila suffers the most because Lakshman is roaming the wilderness with Ram. Despite that they hold their fort with poise and preserverance. Incessantly Urmila and Mandavi are told to shut up because women’s opinions may matter in their father Janak’s Mithila but it holds no value in Koshala! And so the resolute sisters are subjected to the patriarchal pressure. And it isn’t just Ram but even his father failed to understand his wives. The Dharma abiding Ram and his brothers Lakshman and Bharat failed the women in the Ishvaku dynasty. She protested against the patriarchy but her voice was silenced. Our mythology is filled with strong women characters who are hardly admired and some like Sita’s sister, Urmila, don’t even find a substantial mention in the texts. I am so glad I picked up this book without a second thought! And like I mentioned in one of my videos, I had planned to read this book in 2019. I have this strange inclination towards the character of Sita and hence I added this book to my other Sita books collection.

And though I took my own sweet time to complete this book yet I instantly fell in love with it. Published by Rupa Publications this book is around 300 pages long. And Sita’s sister happens to be my first from her. Kavita Kane is one of the most lauded and popular authors in mythological retelling genre. Sita’s Sister by Kavita Kane isn’t just a mythological retelling, it is an experience!

Sita's Sister by Kavita Kané