A Decolonial Feminist Reading in Chitra Divakarunis The Forest of Enchantments

The paper analyses the epitome of Sita's character, her societal challenges, and her identity within the constraints of a patriarchal setting in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Forest of Enchantments. The plot has stood the test of time and become a symbol of female empowerment. It also challenges nationalist appropriations of myth, upends patriarchy, and elevates women by emphasising Sita's subjectivity, emotional complexity and political awareness. Moreover, it demonstrates Sita's ability to heal both the natural environment and herself. From a feminist standpoint, Divakaruni presents Sita as a strong, independent woman, challenging conventional representations of her as submissive. Thereby, the plot serves as a decolonial feminist approach that reclaims mythic space as a site of resistance, rewriting cultural memory from the margins. The paper presents Sita as a symbol of dignity and the centre of a woman's existential crisis. Therefore, it also argues that Divakaruni's work significantly contributes to contemporary conversations on gender, power and moral consciousness by rejecting unjust norms.