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STORIES · THE RĀMĀYAṆA · Bengali & Assamese · regional retelling

Chandrabati: a woman's Ramayana that criticizes Rama

Variant

A Bengali woman poet wrote the Ramayana as protest.

Chandrabati, called the first female Bengali poet (16th century), wrote a Ramayan from Sita's perspective in accessible language. It lowers the divine frame, uses Baromasi seasonal songs, and presents Sita as Everywoman. It criticizes Rama for the trial by fire and the exile. Translated by Nabaneeta Dev Sen (Zubaan, 2020).

Who: Chandrabati, Sita, Rama

Bound to

Jain Sita: the drawing of Ravana's feet and the deer's heart mirror

Jagamohana (Dandi) Ramayana: Sita is never exiled mirror

Places: Mymensingh, Bangladesh (region)

Where this comes from

• regional-literary · Open Letters Review: Chandrabati's Ramayan

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← Adbhuta Ramayana: Sita becomes Kali against the thousand-headed Ravana · Jagamohana (Dandi) Ramayana: Sita is never exiled →