Ahalya, the first book of the Sati-series by Koral Dasgupta, claims
to be a re-telling of the well-known mythological account of a
hapless woman and her plight under the brunt of a patriarchal
social order. Instead of reiterating the familiar tale of Ahalya’s
seduction and her consequent cursed fate, the writer chooses to
focus on the standpoint of the woman who relates the story of her
own journey towards self-discovery. Elements of memory, history,
myth and bildungsroman intersect to create an intricately detailed
narrative that ruptures the demureness and over-emphasis on
docile chastity associated with the traditional image of the Hindu
woman. In her attempt to prioritize the voice of the woman,
Dasgupta almost re-interprets the popular notions of virginity and
virtue accorded to the five women or panchkanyas of Hindu
mythology‒Ahalya, Draupadi, Kunti, Tara and Mandodari. It is
believed that Ahalya, the most beautiful creation of Brahma, was
punished for no fault of her own, with no scope given to her to
assert any degree of agency.