The Girl Who Chose: A New Way of Narrating the Ramayana

The book looks at the Ramayana from an unusual perspective. While Ram is bound by the rules of family and kingship and Ravana disregards the choices of others, Sita's decisions become central to the unfolding of the story.

Through accessible storytelling and illustrations, Pattanaik encourages young readers to think about freedom, responsibility, rules and personal choice.

Devdutt Pattanaik is a physician-turned-mythologist, author and leadership consultant. He has written extensively on Indian mythology, sacred stories, symbols and rituals and their relevance to contemporary life. His books for Penguin include Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana, The Book of Ram, Myth = Mithya and several children's mythology books.

The Girl Who Chose retells the Ramayana through the perspective of Sita's choices. The story asks readers to look beyond the traditional roles of Ram and Ravana and recognise how Sita's decisions shape the course of the epic.

The book introduces young readers to the Ramayana while encouraging them to think about an important question: What does it mean to be free to choose, and what responsibilities come with that freedom? With its accessible narrative and charming illustrations, it offers both an entertaining introduction to Indian mythology and a thoughtful lesson about consent, independence and responsible decision-making.