Power Women: Pushpa Kurup

Book: Power Women: A Journey into Hindu Mythology, Folklore and History
Author: Pushpa Kurup
Publisher: Bloomsbury India

Have you pondered upon the role of female characters in the Hindu mythology and folklore?

Power Women: A Journey into Hindu Mythology, Folklore and History by Pushpa Kurup brings to light the story of  significant women from mythology and folklore across the country. From characters such as Unniyarcha, the heroine of the vadakkanpaatu of Malabar; Kannagi, whose fury destroyed the prosperous Pandya kingdom of Madurai; or Sati Devi and Amba, who immolated themselves in their bid to achieve their mission. Along with them, she tells the readers some known as well as unknown stories of prominent characters such as Draupadi, Kunti, Satyavati etc. From bhikkunis and sanyasinis to wild and wayward women, from daughters, wives, mothers and grandmothers to queens, warriors and scholars, the stories of these splendid women throw up many surprises and make for a fascinating read.

The book is a very well researched collection of stories from various epics and folk tales that take a fresh look at the stories of women across the stories that are a part of the Hindu mythology. From the Ramayana to Mahabharata, Pushpa takes up the characters and takes a look at them form a fresh perspective as to analyze them to bring out the positive as well as not-so-positive characters. As we move from mythology to folktales, Pushpa takes up some very interesting stories to bring out her view on the same. Each story is preceded with a sketch which makes for a wonderful start and sets a good tone for the story ahead. From highlighting the patriarchal undertones in the epics to the very depiction of women in stories, the author raises some very interesting points.

Each of the story features a specific set of characters that aims to talk about an aspect of life that was usually suppressed or given a twist to suit the mindset. Pushpa questions this and tells the story to show how the other side of the coin looks like. Her characters are not helpless damsels in distress, rather they are powerful persons, ones with power to change destinies, and that is the precise idea that I take away from this book. From Savitri’s tryst with Yamaraj, to the Satyabhama, who fights alongside Krishna to slay Narakasura, each of her characters has a fiery side that shows the power.

This is a collection of stories I would recommend if you hold interest in Hindu mythology and folktales, for it is quite a fresh outlook on some of the characters usually portrayed as meek. The book scores a 4.88/5 for me.

Get a copy of the book on Amazon India here.