Sita: I was really drawn to Sita the first time she was introduced in the Ramayana primarily because I felt like she was representative of the kind of person I respect while still being realistic. In most epics, the women are unrelatable or have extreme attitudes and personalities. I found when I was reading about Sita, she wasn’t the perfectly formed woman, but rather a nice mix. She was at times emotional and irrational, but also strong and loyal and willing to sacrifice.
Sita withdrawing into the Earth as punishment (Source)
As far as research goes, I know a little bit about her from what we’ve read in the Ramayana, and of course will continue to learn more as we finish the book. The Indian Epics Encyclopedia says that she is know for agriculture and fruits (which makes me interested even more). It seems she also has a tragic end (spoiler alert…), which is typical of most strong female characters.
Apsaras: as soon as I saw the words "celestial nymphs", I was hooked! For whatever reason, I am a huge fan of characters like this. The Fates, The Sirens, The Muses, and all similar groups in any mythology. I know nothing about them, but just from their description I'm sure they are beautiful, graceful creatures. And from what I can tell, there are four of them who are noteworthy.
Depiction of apsaras (Source)
Wikipedia has hooked me even more! I love that they are known for dancing and being seductresses. The fact that they are powerful enough to change and shape the fates is amazing - it is no coincidence that almost all mythologies have fates who are female! We're obviously awesome. What I don't like is that they seem to be used by gods or men to do malicious tasks. I would definitely rewrite that. If I had to focus on one, I like the story of Tilottama because her abilities are used for good!
Lakshmana: when reading about Lakshmana, I really liked his character. Again, he was a good realistic foil to Rama (who always seems to be doing the right thing, even when it's extremely difficult. All while remaining calm. Who does that??). Lakshmana, on the other hand, was protective and smart in dangerous situations. He wasn't perfect, but that's why I liked him. And his loyalty to his brother and his people was boundless!
Rama and Lakshmana (Source)
His Wikipedia page informs me that he sacrificed himself for the safety of his people. It really sticks out to me that he never thought of himself. His actions were made knowing that his brother was destined for greatness and he had to do whatever he could to help Rama fulfill that destiny. He knew that there were bigger things than himself, and I really like that about him. The bottom of the page says that he is often criticized for leaving his wife, which I had not considered.
Mayasura: I randomly clicked on the link for this character, however I have no prior knowledge of who he is. But I was drawn to his type because the Storybook Topics page said that, even though he is a rakshasas, he is not an evil character. How can someone be a demon but not be evil??
So according to the Wikipedia page, this guy was an amazing architect and built three flying cities - now THAT is really cool. I just picture a somehow ancient yet extremely technologically modern city floating in the sky. I couldn't really find much other information about him, however when it comes to storytelling that could be a good thing!
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