The Palace of Illusions , written by award-winning novelist and poet Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is a rendition of the Hindu epic Mahabharata as told from Panchaali's (Draupadi’s) point of view , namely, that of a woman living in a patriarchal world. It is narrated by Paanchali herself, who is the wife of the five Pandava brothers. It follows Paanchali’s life from a fiery birth and a childhood spent in loneliness, where she only had her brother, Dhristadyumna or Dhri along with Lord Krishna as her companion. The novel depicts Paanchali’s complicated friendship with Krishna, her views on her marriage to the five Pandavas, her secret attraction towards the man who is her husbands’ most dangerous enemy and her role in the battle of Kurukshetra. The book finally gives a woman’s take on the timeless tale, that is the Mahabharata and deals with themes like revenge, patriarchy prevalent in the Hindu classic Mahabharata and love.
The title of the book is a reference to the palace that Paanchali and the five Pandavas live in before going into the exile and is so beautifully created that it seems like a palace filled with illusions., and was designed by the great …show more content…
Along with these many roles she plays as a woman, she is seen as a strong, independent, impatient, eager to learn woman who wanted to stand out and defy the limits which were set for woman. From her birth, till her demise she went through many changes and developed a
The title of the book is a reference to the palace that Paanchali and the five Pandavas live in before going into the exile and is so beautifully created that it seems like a palace filled with illusions., and was designed by the great …show more content…
Along with these many roles she plays as a woman, she is seen as a strong, independent, impatient, eager to learn woman who wanted to stand out and defy the limits which were set for woman. From her birth, till her demise she went through many changes and developed a