Yashodhara

We all have heard the story of Gautama Buddha, leaving the palace to start his spiritual journey and attain enlightenment. But have we ever wondered who was his young wife, Yashodhara, who slept soundly as her husband left her and the new born child behind with his family and kingdom?

Who was this young girl and what shaped her worldview? When she married Siddhartha at the age of sixteen, did she know her conjugal life would soon change drastically? The Yashodhara we meet in Volga's feminist novel is quick-witted, compassionate and wants to pave a way for women to partake in spiritual learning as equals of men. Volga's Yashodhara makes her place in the world with her position, intelligence and empathy.

Popuri Lalita Kumari, popularly known by her pen name Volga, is Telugu poet and writer well known for her feminist perspective. She won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 2015 for her short story compilation 'Vimukta Kadha Samputi' in Telugu. Yashodhara is her interpretation of a woman present in Indian mythology, who has been frequently depicted as a one-dimensional character. In this book Yashodhara isn't a victim, instead here she actively implores Siddharta to pursue the truth of life.