Lanka's Princess" by Kavita Kané

"Lanka's Princess" by Kavita Kané - The unloved one!

This  book is published by Rupa publications India in 2016 and has 280 pages. 

Story starts with the birth of Surpanakha, real name Meenakshi, to Rishi Vishrawas, grand son of Lord Brahma, and Kekasi, daughter of Asura Sumali and Taraka. Meenakshi and her three elder brothers had Brahmin father and Asura mother but they were more Asura than Brahmin. She had strong nails and used it in fights in childhood. Name Surpanakha was given by Ravan after one such fight and it stuck.

Who was Surpanakha? What kind of a person was she? Who was she? What role did she play in Ramayana?

Author portrays Surpanakha as an unwanted girl child for mother, ignored by father, not taken into confidence by brothers, considered not beautiful, loved by grand mother Taraka, cloistered in Lanka, lonely without friends, vicious, bored and vengeful.

There is a special bond between Surpanakha and her nephew Meghnad, Ravan's first born. She is his second mother and he is her first son. 

Meenakshi falls in love with Vidyujiva, king of Kalkeyas and Rawan's nemesis. She blackmails Rawan to agree for their marriage. Against her wish her husband and brothers decide that the couple will stay in Lanka and Vidyujiva will be a predominant courtier of Rawan. Many years later Rawan kills Vidyujiva. Surpanakha refuses to believe that Vidyujiva was a philanderer and was conspiring to overthrow Ravan. Later in Dandaka she loses her only son.

Surpanakha wanted revenge on Ravan and wanted him dead because he killed her husband. First she wanted to seduce Ram and Lakshman. When it did not work and she was disfigured, she uses her condition and Ravan's unfulfilled desire for Sita to instigate the war. Where she went wrong was assuming that Ram and Ravan will fight as soon as war begins and Ravan will die. Instead they fought last and before that she lost all her family. Her brother, her cousins, her nephews and uncle.

She was always an outcast. While in Brahminic culture of her father's ashram, she was considered unfriendly, too aggressive and uninterested in education. When she came to Lanka she did not like the excesses and talk of war and wealth of Asuras.

She is angry at her mother, Rawan, Ram and Lakshman. In reality she is angry at the whole world. She yearns for acceptance that she never gets. She is burning with desire to see Rawan dead. She is ready to bring war on her family and country to get her revenge. She goes to Ayodhya after the war to exact her revenge on Ram and Lakshman as well. But finally she repents and wishes to go back to her family.

In the initial part, Surpanakha gets a marginal role, but later she comes into predominance. In the early part you feel sorry for her and sympathize with her need of recognition and attention. In later part of the book she is consumed with only pine thing. Revenge! Pace of the story is patchy. Surpanakha is shown in a different light. Good thing is that the book has no war. It is covered briefly as news arriving from battlefield.

Surpanakha manipulates Vibhishan to join Ram. Although that scene is a fine piece of literature, is Vibhishan fool enough to not see through Surpanakha, who actually instigated all this?

Why did Vidyujiva agree to become Rawan's vassal? Why Surpanakha never met her beloved Nani, Taraka, after she was cursed? Why did Malyavan, Vibhishan, Mandodari, Kumbhakarna, Indrajit and Surpanakha individually think that they were fighting a losing war? This book shows that they lost the war psychologically even before it started.

Surpanakha's ultimate revenge on Ram appears far fetched and shallow. Author should have made it more authentic and convincing.

Kavita has made a niche for herself with her portrayal of historical but less important characters and narrating the story from their view point. She started with Uruvi in Karna's wife, Menaka in Menaka's choice, Urmila in Sita's sister and now Surpanakha in this Book. From the stories that we have heard in our childhood we know very little of these characters. Kavita delivers stories through them.

Although it's a good book, it's not as good as previous ones of the author.

Why did I read this book? Kavita Kane. 

What I didn't like? Patchy pace, revenge on Ram. 

What did I like? Story of lesser character.

Not a must read. Read if you have time.