The Ramayana is open to various interpretations. Though the core of the mythical tale remains the same, authors use their imagination to interpret it in many ways. Here are five books that are inspired by The Ramayana (Compiled by R. Rakendu)
This is the first book of the Ramayana Series by Ashok K. Banker. This modern retelling of Ramayana focuses on how Ram will save Ayodhya before it turns into a wasteland.
While there are many modern retelling's of Ramayana that portray Sita as the victim of patriarchal society, Devdutt Pattanaik explains Sita’s condition and the helpless situation of Ram when he had to send her to exile. The book depicts the sorrow and grief the couple went through when they were separated and also shows how Rama refuses to remarry. Sita is the main protagonist in this book.
Sita’s Sister is by Kavita Kane, the bestselling author of ‘Karna’s Wife’. When Ram, Sita and Lakshman went to the forest, Urmila did not choose to accompany her husband Lakshman. The book tells about why she chooses to stay at Ayodhya, what was going through her mind and the situation at Ayodhya when they were exiled. The book is about how she fights the odds and survives for 14 years in grief without her husband.
The book by Anant Pai depicts the life of Lord Hanuman, a true devotee of Shri Rama. His courage, wisdom, strength and devotion are unmatched. The author used kid-friendly narration in the story, omitting a few intense parts.
The Ramayana for Children by Bulbul Sharma, as the name suggests, retells the story of Ramayana in a version suitable for children. The story is told in contemporary narrative and also gives importance to the feminist side of the narration.