Abstract

PORTRAYAL OF THE NEW DRAUPADI IN CHITRA BANERJEE DIVAKARUNI’S THE PALACE OF ILLUSIONS

Dr. Anuradha Gaur

Volume: 3 Issue: 1 2013

Abstract:

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an Indian American writer. She was born and brought up in India but later on migrated to America. She is well known for raising women’s issues in her novels like The Mistress of spices, Sister of My Heart, The vine of Desire and the Palace of Illusions. Chitra Banerjee has beautifully presented the feminine sensibility in the novels. She has described women’s struggles, their search for identity, marginalization, male domination, gender discrimination and unique female perspectives in ancient and modern times. The Palace of Illusions is steeling of the epic story The Palace of Illusions is retelling of the epic story The Mahabharata from a female point of view. The novel takes us back to the world of the famous Indian epic The Mahabharata a time that is half history, half myth and absolutely magical. While the mythological story has a huge plot and the Kurushetra war between pandavas and Kauravas is at the centre, Divakaruni make a twist in the original tale and place Draupadi at the centre of her narrative, she is called Panchali, the daughter of Drupad, the king of Panchal. The novel is written in first person and Panchali is the narrator of her own story. The novel starts with the birth of Panchali and ends with her death is the story of the life of Draupadi, one of the most celebrated women characters of the great Indian epic and the especial thing is that she herself narrates what happened in her life’ thus giving a new interpretation of the ancient tale.

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References

• Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee, The Palace of Illusion subsequent references to the text are from this edition & have been indicated by page numbers in parenthesis. (new York, Doubleday, 2008), p.24
• Contemporary women’s writing, volume 6 Issues July 19, 2011, P.85-101
• Ibid https:/doi.org/10.1093/CWW/VPr023