Sitayan

• Author: Mallika Sengupta
• Genre: Novel
• Format: Hardcover
• ISBN: 9788172156183
• Pages: 152
• Weight: 278 grams
• Publisher: Ananda Publishers

Synopsis:
Sitayan is a modern prose retelling of Sita’s journey, exploring her life beyond the conventional Ramayana narrative. Unlike a mere echo of the epic, this novel presents Sita’s evolution into an independent, self-reliant woman despite enduring relentless misfortune.

At the age of thirty-six, Sita is pregnant, glowing in the sacred light of impending motherhood. But her happiness is shattered when Rama, fearing societal gossip, decides to abandon her. Following his orders, Lakshmana leaves the expectant Sita in exile near Valmiki’s ashram in Naimisharanya. Rama prioritizes his kingdom’s image over his wife and unborn children, exposing the patriarchal rigidity of Aryan statecraft.

Through pain, struggle, and isolation, Sita transforms—not as a helpless victim but as a self-illuminated force. She redefines her existence, rising beyond societal expectations. Sitayan intricately explores how she achieves this, making it a powerful feminist reinterpretation of an age-old tale.

About the Author:
Mallika Sengupta (March 27, 1960 – May 28, 2011) was a professor of sociology, holding a PhD in the sociological analysis of divorced women in Bengali novels. She began her academic career in 1985 at Maharani Kashishwari College.

A poet from her university days in 1982, she wrote three novels and three books on feminist discourse. Her works earned her prestigious awards, including:

• Sukanta Puraskar
• Junior Writers Fellowship (Government of India)
• Anita-Sunil Basu Award
• Alpana Acharya Memorial Award

Her poetry and literary contributions have been recognized internationally, with invitations to Sweden, Australia, the USA, the Czech Republic, and Bangladesh. She was also the editor of Bhashanagar from 1989 until her passing.

Even today, her poetry and literary contributions can be found on Wikipedia, India Poetry International, The Unanswered Tongue, and India Together.