CELESTIAL NYMPHS AS SEXUAL OBJECTS: A STUDY OF THE INDIAN EPIC RAMAYANA

Abstract

Ramayana is not all about the central and the chief characters, it is simultaneously also about the minor, off-centre, silenced role players. Celestial Nymphs or popularly known as Apsaras in Indian Mythology are one such part of this Magnum Opus Indian Epic “Ramayana”. Objectification is the ‘act of dehumanization’ or ‘treating someone as an object or mere thing’. Apsaras are relentlessly used as objects of beauty, seduction and sexual exploitation at the hands of men. They are sexually subdued by men in order to divert other men from their objectives or simply for pleasure. Apsaras and the current era women are mistreated and objectified at various levels and into multiple categories by the patriarchy. Apsaras are the epitome of beauty along with epitome of women objectification as they work for Indra as his ‘agents’ whose only agenda is to use her beauty and sexual appeal as ‘Honey Traps’ to misguide Indra’s competitors. This paper examines the significance and various nature of objectionable treatment of Apsaras in the epic along with the outcome for the same. Celestial Nymphs have seized less attention as compared to other women characters but they are the one who have been maltreated the most.