Bengaluru: Sudha Murty’s latest offering celebrates divine feminism

Bengaluru: The Daughter from a Wishing Tree,  the 34th book from the prolific pen of Mrs Sudha Murty, chairperson of Infosys Foundation,  weaves the themes of equality and perseverance with mythology to tell a tale of divine feminism. The fourth book in a mythological series, it not only takes  readers into a realm of gods and demons walking alongside humans,  but also of goddesses fighting wars on behalf of gods. "We build temples, and pray to goddesses with devotion, but don't practice it in society," said Mrs Sudha Murty at the official launch of the book  on the occasion of Children's Day in the presence of Ms Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, MD and chairperson of Biocon India Ltd. and her husband, and vice-chairman of the company, John Shaw, at Crossword bookstore, Mantri Square Mall, on Thursday.

As she dwelt on the need for a change in attitude to gender stereotyping, right from the upbringing of  children, Ms Kiran Mazumdar Shaw joined in to note that, "Marriage is a partnership, where raising children is an equal responsibility of both parents activities should not be perceived on the basis of gender roles. In the process, we cannot only create smart boys but also smart girls."

Reflecting more on the book,  Mrs Murty said she had explored and identified hitherto untouched and not-very  discussed aspects of mythology. Some of its stories trace the creation of Lord Vishnu's Sudarshana Chakra, dwell on the magnanimous Dhanush that led to the marriage of Lord Ram and Sita,  the story of Mandodari, and the creation of first clone in the world.   "The book is dedicated to John Shaw. Just like a woman is considered  the driving force behind a man's success,  John is indeed the driving force in Kiran's journey of success," she smiled.

Writing both in English and Kannada, Mrs Murty has authored over 30 books.