‘WOMEN OF THE RAMAYANA’ by Pallavi Jain

Thesis Abstract:

Mythology forms an integral part of any culture. In order to understand the latter, one must understand the former. The Ramayana is one the most widely known, epics of Indian mythology. Almost every person born in Indian society, grows up around stories and morals extracted from The Ramayana. This means that if not in detail, everyone knows the story briefly. Albeit not in depth. The idea behind this thesis project is to understand that depth. To explore the role of women and move away from the stereotypical characters that they are always expected to play. To showcase them, and project them in a light that has not been done before.

In order to break away from the patriarchal structure of our society, one needs to be shaped and be made aware of these stories when growing up. Hence this book, is a compilation of a few short stories for children between the age of seven to thirteen years, because those are the years when their thoughts begin taking shape, thus shaping them as human beings. This book aims at making people understand that men and women have been equals, in all aspects of life since the beginning, but somewhere along the way, only men began taking center stage and the role of women was reduced to being mere props and this in turn shaped the thought process of our society at large. This book, is a small attempt at changing this perception by putting forth stories that highlight women of The Ramayana.