My Rating - 3 out of 5 stars
Publisher - Rupa PublicationGenre - Mythological Fiction
Publishing year - 2017
Language - English
ISBN - 978-81-291-4451-5
Pages - 298
My Review -
Lanka's Princess is another women-centric story written by Kavita Kane. It is about the mythological character Surpanakha, daughter of Rishi Vishravas, and Kaikesi, offspring of a Rakshasa. Surpanakha's birth name was Meenakshi, but due to her long-hard nails, she gained this title.
The sister of mighty Raavan, Kumbhkaran, and Vibhishan, she always felt like an outcast in her home. The rivalry between Raavan and Surpanakha leads to the end of the powerful Asur clan. Kavita Kane tried to portray Surpanakha's character so that the readers somehow sympathize with her, but I don't think anyone will be able to do that.
Her role was crucial in Ramayan; if it weren't for her, Ram and Raavan's battle wouldn't happen, and Ram's purpose stays unfinished. But only a few know that his husband's death by Raavan's hand leads her to an unending revenge spree.
Since childhood, she was a manipulative girl; her mother never loved or adored her like Raavan, and it creates eternal jealousy in her heart. Surpanakha found love and married Vidyujiva, Raavan's enemy, and had a child named Kumar. But after a few years of marriage, Raavan killed his brother-in-law, suspecting that he was trying to usurp Lanka's throne and fooling her sister all along.
After that, she decides that she will kill the Raavan by hook or crook. At last, she accomplishes what she wanted, but contentment was not near her. She blames all her misdeeds on other people her whole life, but something changed her when she met Laxman in Ayodhya, after a long time.
I find the different endings of Surpanakha; there are several folklores around her last years. I'm not sure which one to believe. Still, in Bhagavad Purana, Kubja was considered the reincarnation of Surpanakha, and Lord Krishna completes her wish for carnal satisfaction.
In Kavita Kane's version, Surpanakha was upfront about her sexual desires. When she approaches Ram and Laxman in the Dandak forest, they were not ready for the circumstance where women readily attest her wishes, which leads to the brothers' amusement, then her attack towards Sita, and the abuse she received by Laxman change the course of history.
Lanka's Princess is my first read from the author, and I'm not impressed by her writing. But I do want to read Karna's Wife and Menaka's Choice, so let's see if they prove to be worthy of my time or not. The book has grammatical errors, and the narration appears abrupt and loose. I knew all the tales presented in this book, so there was nothing new for me to explore. But if you're a neophyte and wanted to know Surpanakha's anecdote, this novel will prove to be a stable start.
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