Abstract

This paper proposes to analyse the ways in which Sita, a goddess born as a human is often portrayed as a passive, self- sacrificing figure and an exemplar and role model for women in traditional epics. However, the recent  Retellings on Ramayana, such as Pragya Agarwal’s  The Renunciation, Sini Panicker’s Sita: Now you Know me, Amish Tripathi’s Sita: Warrior of Mithila, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Forest of Enchantments and Volga’s The Liberation of Sita  have re-examined this archetype and portrayed Sita as a challenging woman, who uses her free will not only to reflect on whether she needs to reconcile with her husband or not, but also in questioning  the ways of men in the name of dharma.  Agarwal’s Renunciation and Divakaruni’s The Forest of Enchantments, have been chosen for analysis, as these works align and give more scope for empowerment of women, as the need of the hour. Sita’s transformation from a passive, self- sacrificing woman to a resilient, self-willed woman reflects not only the adaptability of modern retellings, but also the changing perspective among the upcoming Indian readers.