From Silence to Speech: The Reinterpretation of Satis in Koral Dasgupta’s Mythological Rewritings

Indian Mythology is so vast and rich in culture that even its rewritings never fail to amuse its readers. Koral Dasgupta’s Sati Series is such an example with appealing voices of five mythical female characters Ahalya, Kunti, Draupadi, Mandodari and Tara. Their presentation in Indian epics often treated them as silent victims rooted in patriarchy. Koral Dasgupta’s narrative techniques, characterisation and dialogue writings have evoked independent pathways for them. The research paper explores the primary meaning, nature and roles of two cultural constructs of femininity in mythology: (1) Panch Kanyas, and (2) Sati. The analysis considers the author’s application of the concept ‘sati’, the difference between the classical and revisionary way of looking and their relevance in modern times.