Voyage into Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's The Forest of Enchantments - sersc
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International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology
Vol. 29, No. 9s, (2020), pp. 7031-7035
Voyage into Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Forest of Enchantments
1
Krishna Chatur Sow Mondal, 2Dr. S. Lavanya
1
Ph.D. Research Scholar, Department of English, K L (Deemed to be University), Andhra Pradesh, India.
2
Associate Professor & Head, Department of English, K L (Deemed to be University), Andhra Pradesh,
India.
1
krishna.chatur@gmail.com, 2slavanya.klu@gmail.com
Abstract
The Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is based on India’s most cherished lovelorn
epic Ramayana. This novel depicts Ram’s banishment of fourteen years and Sita’s life thereafter from
her perspective. It also presents Sita’s deep-seated desires--her love for Nature. She was indeed the
daughter of Nature who could feel their anguish as well as amusement. The forced banishment indeed
had its ups and downs which even Ram and Sita could not escape. This paper deals with Sita’s life, forest
life. It also engages with the other characters in the periphery. But the chief interest lies in the fact that
how Sita, staying within the society, highlights the loopholes of our society- how women, through the
course of their life, are subjected to racial discrimination in their own house, their society, and, most
importantly, how men try to control their lives. Sita’s voice further speaks about the art of balancing the
public and the private life which is very essential for the entire human race to follow. How Sita
understands and analyses the different facets of love also provide a lesson for life to the entire human
race is analyzed in this paper.
Keywords: Forest; Marginal-Character; Private; Public; Society.
I. Introduction
Although Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni writes her Sitayan from the feminist stance by re-interpreting
one of the greatest epics of Hindu mythology, The Ramayana, she remains true to the principle
interpretation of Sage Valmiki. Penetrating deep into the patriarchal mindset Divakaruni depicts the
female perspective striking the very chord of humanity. She provides a renewed perspective maintaining a
strong connection to its originality. It is Sita-- the greatest icon of Indian womanhood who plays the role
of the protagonist in this novel. The characters, values, morals of Ramayana- which are deeply rooted in
Indian heart are kept intact and are narrated from Sita’s voice. The novel is a sincere experiment and it
urges the readers to re-think the novel from an alternative perspective sticking to its original roots. Sita, in
this novel, also gives voice to the voiceless-- it narrates the innermost thoughts of other female characters
of the epic. It is interesting to note how Sita, a glorious character, reacts and responds staying within the
situation, within the society. The text also raised questions regarding human behaviour and the social
system. The existence of women is marked by hyphenated identities, fractured psyche, and a shift of their
roles between pre- marital and post-marital ways of life. Their life oscillates between acceptance of neo
post-marital life and rejection of their life as a maiden.
Despite the fact that the readers have been waiting for so long after the publication of “The Palace of
Illusions” in 2009 which gave voice to one of the most enigmatic character-- Draupadi in a patriarchal
setup who makes her own choices consciously, yet never fails to express her anger, hatred, vengeance
keeping her own dignity intact, “The Forest of Enchantments” was published in 2019, a decade later. The
writer herself spoke about her extensive research work before venturing to undertake this enormous
project.
She studied the four different versions of The Ramayana--Valmiki Ramayan, Adbhuta Ramayan,
ISSN: 2005-4238 IJAST 7031
Copyright ⓒ 2020 SERSCInternational Journal of Advanced Science and Technology
Vol. 29, No. 9s, (2020), pp. 7031-7035
Kamba Ramayan and Bengali version of Krittibasi Ramayan, her favourite. She also read the various folk
songs written about Sita. Banerjee wanted to re- interpret the epic from moral standards, subverting the
traditional method of perceiving Sita as a ‘‘long-suffering’’ woman who accepts her fate with ‘‘silent
stoicism’’, and presents her as strong human-being who, although succumbs to human emotions, but also
faces the challenges and retaliates with her firm intellect as well as unique martial arts techniques.
Banerjee’s Sita redefines every woman's nature in contemporary times. Adhering to the original epic as
close as possible, Banerjee presents her Sita as a dynamic character, a multidimensional character, fighter
against all odds, seeking justice for herself and the entire womanhood at large. She speaks about the
empowerment of women while handling the marginal characters. Sita is also an inspiration for all those
women who are bringing up their children single handily, for she was one of the earliest single parents.
Sita is, at once, an emblem of courage and forgiveness.
II. Presentation of Sita’s Character
Sita’s character, time and again, has been under the scanner. Different mythology writers and film
directors have engaged their creative faculty to depict the character of Sita and present it in front of its
target readers as well as audiences, thereby providing an alternative perspective to the existing one.
Divakaruni has highlighted Sita’s several other identities which are not limited within the traditional
familial boundaries; she is presented as a healer, wise counsellor with sharp acumen, trained in martial
arts, daughter of Agni. She transcends the boundaries of a dutiful woman and a modest wife who accepts
her lot without any protest. Ram’s banishment paves the way for Sita to fulfil her secretly cherished
childhood desire to visit the forest which she accomplishes by accompanying Ram during his banishment
in the forest and it was her decision to accompany her husband to the forest. She convinced her family
members for that. She is a traveller; one who can equate herself with the Nature-feel their pain
communicates with them and heals them occasionally. She is a fighter, resilient woman who has the
courage to fight with the mightiest ruler of the earth- Ravan; her indomitable spirit to face the harsh
realities of life. Sage Valmiki’s Ramayana depicts Ram as Maryada Puroshottam-- the embodiment of
perfection, righteousness, and the upholder of Dharma. On the contrary, Sita is a meek, submissive,
devoted wife of Rama, who endures all the sufferings without any protest accepting it as her destiny. The
meek and mild persona is replaced by a fighting woman with unputdownable strength. In this book, Sita
is sketched not as a foil to Ram, but an equally powerful entity that stays by her husband’s side
throughout her life and follows him in the ups and downs of life.
The plot progresses and revolves around Sita. The writer gave a vivid description of peaceful Mithila,
intriguing courtrooms of Ayodhya, the royal family of Raghu and most importantly their patriarchal
mindset, a battle between love and duty where duty won each time sacrificing love each time, conflicts of
dharma and adharma, right and wrong, the mesmerizing forests of Dandaka, Panchabati and Ashok
Vatika where Nature was at its best: huge gigantic trees, the kingdom of innumerable flora and fauna of
different kinds. Sitayan complements Ramayana.
The novel follows a first-person narrative pattern, narrated through flashbacks where Sita is the centre
of attraction. She is an emblem of endurance, courage, and self-respect. Divakaruni’s Sitayan revolves
around Sita, it presents Sita’s story from her birth till the end in exquisite detail: she was found wrapped
in the strange fabric; her childhood spent in Mithila with her loving family members along with her
loving sister, Urmila. Her knowledge about herbs to cure diseases; her incognito training and mastery in
martial arts, marriage with Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, youthful conjugal love, her post-wedding days
in the new family; embracing the banishment along with her husband; her hardships in forest days and
thereafter in the Ashoke Vatika, Lanka in Ravan’s captivity; bravery by undergoing fire- trial to prove her
chastity; serving her duty towards the citizens of Ayodhya as its rightful Queen; pain and heartbreak on
hearing the news of her banishment; days in Rishi Valmiki’s ashram; performing the duty of a single
mother with dignity and courage; and her breath-taking act of uniting with the mother earth.
ISSN: 2005-4238 IJAST 7032
Copyright ⓒ 2020 SERSCInternational Journal of Advanced Science and Technology
Vol. 29, No. 9s, (2020), pp. 7031-7035
III. Presentation of Minor Characters
Divakaruni deconstructs and then re-constructs the character of Sita. In this novel, Sita transforms
herself from a reader to a writer--she gives voice to the voiceless, marginalized characters who have
contributed in making Ramayana ‘‘the cosmic drama of good and evil” (266). Sita speaks about Sunaina,
Urmila, Kaikeyi, Surpanakha, Ahalya, Mandodari, and Sarama- she speaks on behalf of them all, for they
poignantly requested her to write their stories as well: “write our story, too. For always we have been
pushed into corners, trivialized, misunderstood, blamed, forgotten-or maligned and used as cautionary
tales.’’ (4) All the characters question the blind Dharma, women’s position, and their rights in an andro-
centric society, and the relationship between husband and wife. Sita, possesses within herself, a kind of
womanish zeal, an urge to provide aesthetic respite to all those neglected women in the fabric of her own
ardent narrative whom Sage Valmiki has deliberately silenced in his own narrative. Sita’s attention
throws light upon these minor characters as they speak through her. Banerjee presents Queen Kaushaya’s
heartbreak and agony at her husband’s reluctance and subsequent separation from her son and daughter-
in-law. Both the characters, Kaikeyi and Surpanakha are judged from the humanitarian ground who was
misdirected, for they could not balance their mind and heart. Although their conduct made them hated by
the readers, in this novel, both are healed by compassion. The presentation of Mandodari, the Queen of
Lanka is unique, for the author foregrounds a mother-daughter relationship between Mandodari and Sita,
however contestable it may be.
The presentation of Urmila’s character will draw sympathy from its readers: Her dream of prosperous
marital life is shattered when Laksman, ignoring her, goes for banishment for fourteen years with his
elder brother, Ram. In Banerjee’s interpretation, Urmila too plays her part as a dutiful wife and fought her
own struggle during this period. She also played her role as a loving sister and is given equal reverence
like Sita. Urmila’s story, her life of fourteen years might not be represented in the original versions of The
Ramayana, but Divakaruni throws light upon this character giving vent to her creativity. Urmila sleeps for
fourteen years at home and subsequently pays the debt of Lakshman towards Nidra Devi. She fights her
own battle and saves her marital life from converting it to a wasteland. Her sacrifice is indeed awe-
inspiring.
Ahalya’s mouna- vrata (vow of silence) was indeed painful and unique. Although she has accepted
her fate as stoic resignation, she shows her protest by taking the oath of silence, not to speak with her
husband, and punish him for his hideous act. Both, Ahalya and Rishi Gautam suffer the pangs of marital
separation and disharmony.
Ravan’s famous sister, Surpanakha who is a monster in the eyes of the people is also attributed to a
humane touch. Surpanakha is viewed as a love-lorn woman who, indeed has desired a married man, does
not deserve harsh and violent punishment in the hands of Lakshman. Even Sita thought of paying proper
cremation after her death which is unique.
Mandori, Ravan’s wife, was forced to witness the downfall of gorgeous Lankapuri, the death of her
two sons and her husband. She tries to console and save Sita from Ravan’s wrath. She tried to save her
family, her people from the ensuing catastrophe which resulted in vain. She bared a humane heart along
with her rakshasi lineage.
Vivishan’s wife, Sarama was also very righteous like her husband. She tried to console Sita in difficult
times and they eventually became friends which is at once unbelievable and interesting. However, their
friendship did not last long due to the interference of Ravan.
Trijata, the chief guard, also finds mention in this novel. She protected Sita from other monstrous
asura guards of Ashoka garden.
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Copyright ⓒ 2020 SERSCInternational Journal of Advanced Science and Technology
Vol. 29, No. 9s, (2020), pp. 7031-7035
IV. Sita’s Perspective and Foresightedness
Divakaruni’s Sita is not a Goddess, but a common woman much like us who is emotionally
vulnerable. She succumbs to human emotions: love, passion, frustration, heartbreak. Divakaruni’s strikes
at the innermost moral cord of human faith and questions Ramayana’s sacredness. The word “endurance”
runs parallel through Sita’s character who resists the attacks on her integrity, fights against the injustice
done to her time and again, and above all refuses to surrender at any cost. Finally, she resigns from this
mundane world with dignity which has subjected her to much humiliation. Endurance here is not forceful
surrender; rather it is spiritual and mental strength which human beings should reflect in critical
situations. Her life is an unresolved mystery, an evergreen enigma. At times, both the narrator and the
protagonist merge with each other, for Sita is an emblem of entire womanhood and her story symbolizes
the struggle of women to voice their thoughts, fight for their rights in a male-dominated society. She
contemplates the nature of life and man’s untiring efforts to comprehend it: ‘‘How ironic that the joyous
times we’d like to hold on to are the most fleeting, while the saddest ones clutch at us, refusing to let go.’’
(247)
Sita, being presented as a righteous woman, also recognizes Ravan as a good and able leader: …Ravan
had been a mighty sovereign, a much-loved hero to his people, and a sincere devotee of Shiva (231). Her
ability to see good in others, even in her closest enemies, ultimately provides her mental strength to fight
for right and raises her character to a higher level. She herself recognizes Kaikeyi’s action as “mother’s
love” and Ram’s act of disowning her after her rescue as a move to protect her from further humiliation.
Although she questions Ram, her love and devotion towards Ram were beyond doubt. Her devotion to her
husband, who stepped forward in banishing her, raised pertinent questions regarding the limits of
tolerability of a woman. She does not submit her own identity to earn the status of “a socially approved
wife” and strongly disapproves of proving herself as a hallmark of chastity by self-immolation. She
sacrifices her life in protest and merges with mother earth with dignity. Sita’s plight moved the readers
and highlighted the loopholes of patriarchy, a burning topic that can be contested in the coming ages.
Banerjee’s delineation of her Sitayan gives a new dimension to the entire tapestry and it also
revitalizes the epic. It is her honest attempt of presenting it independently despite the pervading influences
of The Ramayana. The glory of Sita was hardly presented by other writers. Furthermore, she was
overshadowed against the overwhelming glory of her husband, Ram. Banerjee also highlights the
ostracized characters that were never acknowledged for their roles in the epic, Sita turns out to be a true
love of nature who even feels the pain when they are hurt. She is mesmerized and tries to comprehend the
complexity of love: She exclaims, ‘Ah, love! Why had Vidhanta made its nature so complex?’ (204).
Sitayan projects Ramayana as a tragic love story of Sita and Rama. It goes one step ahead and throws
light on the various facades of love. It projects: a love story of blind devotion between Dasharatha, the
King of Ayodhya; love is also devastating when one reads the complex relationship between Dasharatha-
Kaikeyi, Surpanakha-Rama, Ravan-Sita, Indra-Ahalya, pure and celestial love between Sita-Hanuman,
Sita-Urmila, Lav Kush-Sita. Sita realizes that love exists in this world in myriad forms. Divakaruni
speaks about ‘Agape Love’-- love that is pure, celestial and that which is divine and free from carnal
pleasures, that love which is free from desires and expectations, which teaches us to forgive our loved
ones regardless of their flaws and shortcomings. This love works for the greater good of mankind and
paves the way how one can draw strength from love in adverse conditions.
Sita is not a submissive woman and till the end upholds her self-esteem. She demands justice for
herself and questions the activities of her husband regarding his duty towards his citizens; about stree-
dharma; she questions by giving voice to people, most importantly women; she questions his duty
towards his subjects- which also includes his own family members. According to her, Ram failed
miserably to balance his personal and professional life. He banished his wife and the equally innocent
babies. They were his family members as well as his subjects. Sita disapproves of Ram’s notion of
sacrificing private life for serving his subjects. She voices her thoughts aloud: “I don‘t agrees with you
that the private life must be sacrificed for the public one. And that is the final advice that I leave for my
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Copyright ⓒ 2020 SERSCInternational Journal of Advanced Science and Technology
Vol. 29, No. 9s, (2020), pp. 7031-7035
children: my dearest boys, balance duty with love. Trust me, it can be done” (356). Marie Josephine
Aruna in her doctorial thesis opines that mythology chiefly focuses on patriarchy and depicts the
masculine activities to a greater extent. Women characters were neglected and there was hardly any
strong figure to represent them. They were oppressed, remained mute spectators, and were treated as
puppets in the hands in the patriarchal structure. Divakaruni tries to balance both the characters. She does
not show any disrespect towards the character of Ram. She opines that the binaries can co-exist
peacefully without harming each other’s interests. Life teaches us to balance our duties as well.
Divakaruni advises creating such an atmosphere where men and women can draw strength from one
another by developing a good understanding.
V. Conclusion
Sitayan celebrates womanhood. It speaks about self- awareness, illuminates our dark psyche by
providing logical reasoning, a kind of road map based upon the humanitarian ground, and encourages
contemporary women. Sita tried to add colour to the other woman’s life without envying them. Sita learns
the lesson of life, lesson about love during her life: one should give value to others’ choices instead of
inflicting our choice towards them. All the marginalized voices, irrespective of their social background,
merge together and form a sense of interconnectedness. The novel urges the women community to
safeguard their honour and dignity and requests them to be selective while sacrificing their lives for their
loved ones.
REFERENCES
[1] Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee. The Forest of Enchantments. HarperCollins, 2019.
[2] ---. The Palace of Illusions: A Novel. Picador India, 2008.
[3] Marie Josephine Aruna, A. Shodhganga : a Reservoir of Indian Theses , 2012.
[4] Rathor, Dr. Ila. “Reclaming the Self: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's The Forest of
Enchantments.” Literary Endeavour, X, no. 3, May 2019, pp. 125–128.
[5] Saha, Sukanya. “Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Forest of Enchantments: A Saga of Duty,
Betrayal, Integrity and Honour.” Rupkatha Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities (ISSN
0975-2935), vol. 11, no. 2, Sept. 2019, pp. 2–5.
[6] Satapathy, Amrita. “‘The Forest of Enchantments’: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s
Sitayan.” International Journal of English: Literature, Language and Skills, vol. 8, no. 2, July 2019.
[7] Savionna Ross, Venetia, and Dr. C. Dhanabal. “Renegotiating Diasporic Identity of ‘Sita’ in Chitra
Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Forest of Enchantments.” IJELLH (International Journal of English
Language, Literature in Humanities), vol. 7, no. 8, pp. 1067–1085.
[8] Taskeen, Shaista. “Punctuated Margins and Womanist Valences in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The
Forest of Enchantments.” The Criterion: An International Journal in English, vol. 10, no. V, Oct.
2019, pp. 039–050.
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