Power Women

The women in India's great epics compare favourably with the men Draupadi the princess with five husbands and a fiery temperament; Uloopi who abducted the mighty warrior Arjuna; Satyabhama who fought alongside Krishna to kill the demon Narakasura; Sita who dramatically descended into the bowels of the Earth rather than return to her suspicious husband; Satyavati whose greed set the stage for the Kurukshetra War; or Savitri who achieved the impossible without picking up a weapon. Pushpa Kurup brings their stories and many others in this brilliant compilation of the powerful and intriguing women of our mythology. What enriches this volume further is the inclusion of a few lesser-known but equally significant women 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.. 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.