The Palace Of Illusions- Chitra Divakaruni
We all have read the famous Mahabharata in school or heard by our parent or grandparents. The valour of great men being glorified, with their righteousness and dedication. Their commitment and chivalry, their sorrows and achievements. But what about the women? Their voice was curbed and they were there in the backdrop as supportive actors to make the men look good, I guess. The Mahabharata , never before comes with the voice of a woman and her perspective.
Draupadi, tells her tale as she is born from fire with his brother Dhri and is prophesised to bring about the biggest and disastrous turn of events in history. She grows up telling her story about how she lived in the palace, being a princess, about her aspirations and desires. It merely comes out as a tale of a girl caught in the dilemmas of life. Panchaali (Draupadi’s another name), is constantly perplexed by the future she and her brother holds. She, having a progressive outlook criticises and condemns a lot of patriarchal stances through her statements satirically and questionably. She is in search of constant answers, which no one is delightful to answer her.
Draupadi reflects about the patriarchal scrutiny over women, the indifference towards them by men and the silent torment they went through, at that time. Though she gets to hold power over the most powerful men of Bharat, by getting married to all the five pandavas, but that too tortures her from inside as she is not able to be truly anyone’s. She remains in constant search for true love, but is always denied of it. She becomes one of the most powerful woman at one point of time, and in the very next is sent away to live wretchedly in the forests. All through the book, she constantly questions the actions of men and condemns them for it but at the same time is helpless to seek justice for herself.
The character of Draupadi that Divakaruni moulds out is of a very ordinarily extraordinary woman, with her inner conflicts, unsaid desires and unspoken words. She reflects like any other person, aspects of jealousy, motherhood, shortcomings and strengths. Draupadi, gives a totally new outlook to the Mahabharata with the reflection of her words and actions. If one is interested in Indian epics and wants to look at it in a totally new limelight, this is the book to definitely read. I will give it a 8/10.
Draupadi, tells her tale as she is born from fire with his brother Dhri and is prophesised to bring about the biggest and disastrous turn of events in history. She grows up telling her story about how she lived in the palace, being a princess, about her aspirations and desires. It merely comes out as a tale of a girl caught in the dilemmas of life. Panchaali (Draupadi’s another name), is constantly perplexed by the future she and her brother holds. She, having a progressive outlook criticises and condemns a lot of patriarchal stances through her statements satirically and questionably. She is in search of constant answers, which no one is delightful to answer her.
Draupadi reflects about the patriarchal scrutiny over women, the indifference towards them by men and the silent torment they went through, at that time. Though she gets to hold power over the most powerful men of Bharat, by getting married to all the five pandavas, but that too tortures her from inside as she is not able to be truly anyone’s. She remains in constant search for true love, but is always denied of it. She becomes one of the most powerful woman at one point of time, and in the very next is sent away to live wretchedly in the forests. All through the book, she constantly questions the actions of men and condemns them for it but at the same time is helpless to seek justice for herself.
The character of Draupadi that Divakaruni moulds out is of a very ordinarily extraordinary woman, with her inner conflicts, unsaid desires and unspoken words. She reflects like any other person, aspects of jealousy, motherhood, shortcomings and strengths. Draupadi, gives a totally new outlook to the Mahabharata with the reflection of her words and actions. If one is interested in Indian epics and wants to look at it in a totally new limelight, this is the book to definitely read. I will give it a 8/10.
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