Author:
Who was Kausalya?
An unwanted daughter, given her mother’s indifference? Someone whose fate was tied to the Asura king Ravana? or someone who had to bear with the fact that her husband had to take on two more wives?
Or was she just a mother who had to give up her children, including exiling her own son?
Kausalya was the princess extraordinaire. She excelled in all areas to the extent that she was known to be blessed by the Goddess. She had powers unknown to many.
However, she had to remain in the shadows of her father, husband and later, her son. Though she embodied truth and wisdom, happiness and sorrow, sacrifice and devotion, she came across as a disgruntled and voiceless monarch.
There were many layers to the enigmatic Kausalya and the young author has done a good job of peeling them one at a time. Here was a warrior queen who birthed an avatar but was a lot more than what met the eye.
The later part of the story, particularly the exile and Sita’s birth, is very different from what we have read in most versions of the Ramayana. But the reasoning is effective enough. It’s a different yet interesting perspective.
Kausalya was the queen who had it all but was always alone…
