The initial discomfiture of Draupadi is described as she didn’t consider herself beautiful, lacking the revered fair skin. She is born divinely, yet never accepted socially, juxtaposed to her brother who is honored. Draupadi’s character develops in this dejected and desolate realm. “ …a princess afflicted with a skin so dark that people termed it blue was capable of changing history.” She is an unwanted child, an additional boon from the Gods to King Drupad, who had carried the great feat for acquiring a son from the sacred fire, to defeat Drona. As Draupadi’s character takes centrestage in the positive ambit, Kunti’s character becomes the nemesis.ĭraupadi is described as born of the fire with a blue hue. The Author questions the edifice of patriarchal storytelling where women were reduced to mere props or extensions for the narrative of the male characters to carry forward. It is not a distant figurative Princess and a haughty queen who is instrumental in bringing upon the worst battle of the times. However, in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s ‘ The Palace of Illusions’, Mahabharata revolves around Draupadi, beginning with her birth, chronicling her childhood, marriage and so on. The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

‘A woman’s look at crime and punishment, loyalty, promises, love and vengeance. Charming and remarkable’ Houston Chronicle

‘A radiant entree into an ancient mythology. ‘A mythic tale brimming with warriors, magic and treachery’ Los Angeles Times Tracing Panchaali's life - from fiery birth and lonely childhood, where her beloved brother is her only true companion through her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna to marriage, motherhood and Panchaali's secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husbands' most dangerous enemy - The Palace of Illusions is a deeply human novel about a woman born into a man's world - a world of warriors, gods and the ever manipulating hands of fate.

The Palace of Illusions takes us back to a time that is half-history, half-myth, and wholly magical narrated by Panchaali, the wife of the five Pandava brothers, we are - finally - given a woman's take on the timeless tale that is the Mahabharata

The palace illusions