Ram's sister

Published on 6th March, 2016, in Mid-Day. Television has introduced India to Shiva’s daughter, Ashokasundari, and Ram’s sister, Shanta. The reception in either has been dramatically different. While most people were enthusiastic about Shiva’s daughter, many were alarmed about Ram’s sister. On one side, there was the positive reaction: ‘Really, Shiva had a daughter?’ On the other, there was a negative reaction: ‘Rubbish, Ram did not have a sister!’ Information on Ashokasundari is scarce, a slip of a tale found only in the Padma Purana, with some folklore from Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Bengal about Shiva and Parvati having a daughter. By contrast, the story ..