A lot of writing came from personal curiosity. But that never made sense to me because to me Kaikeyi was a very strong-willed and upstanding woman.

In most versions of the Ramayana, Kaikeyi is plainly called a jealous woman. So Kaikeyi is really the mother of Ram, although not biologically. But in ancient Hindu culture, kings were allowed to have multiple wives. Kaikeyi is usually called the evil stepmother in the Ramayana, who decides to exile Lord Ram to 14 years in the forest in order to put her own son on the throne. Who is Kaikeyi, and why did you choose Kaikeyi over the many other strong female characters in the Ramayana? The publication of the book was ceased in India, and Patel continues to receive criticism for retelling Kaikeyi’s story from a feminist perspective.īorderless Magazine talked to Patel about her book and her life as an Indian American in Chicago. Patel’s book reimagines the place of women in Hinduism, in historical and modern contexts, and she writes about anti-colonialism, feminism and Indian myth. In her book, Patel uplifts Kaikeyi to the position of being a gifted statesperson and diplomat, and as someone who possesses physical might. Vaishnavi Patel’s book is being met with great public ire, as Patel challenges the common trope of Kaikeyi as being a villain. Similar trends of anti-Muslim sentiments have been echoed by Indian Americans living in the U.S, where Hindu nationalism is quickly gaining ground. His government is particularly known to attack Muslims and make hate-ridden comments against Muslims.

Reports show that since India’s Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, his government has stifled religious freedom, freedom of press and freedom of speech significantly. It comes out at a time when Hindu nationalism, mostly in the name of Ram, is seeing a rise in India and in the U.S. “Kaikeyi,” is now a New York Times Best Seller. Today, Ram is widely worshiped by Hindus all over the globe.

Ram surrenders his throne and power in order to respect the command of Kaikeyi and is heralded as the ideal man. Polygamy was common at the time of Dashratha’s reign, and his third wife Kaikeyi exiled Ram and his wife Sita to fourteen years in the forest in order to put her own biological son on the throne. The Ramayana is the story of Lord Ram, the oldest son of Dashratha, the king of Ayodhya. In her debut novel “Kaikeyi,” Chicago author Vaishnavi Patel retells the story of a key female character in one of the holiest Hindu epics.

Kaikeyi by vaishnavi patel