Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni‘s The Palace of Illusions retells the Mahabharata through the eyes of Draupadi. The title itself serves as a general metaphor for life. ―Illusion or Maya is what surrounds a human life and when the illusion of desires break, what comes is the enlightenment or knowledge. Human continue to sustain his desires with much efforts and pains, through conflicts and humiliation, while certainly lacking knowledge about the laws that govern our lives. The novel brings the reader completely into a world that is old and new, magical and real at the same time. The novel provides a story through eyes of Draupadi, her life and longings giving Draupadi-centered retellings. Divakaruni‘s version is notable among the other Mahabharata novelizations not only for trying to include more of the original‘s stories, but also for its lack of a compelling protagonist. The novel is written in first person, giving Panchali‘s own thoughts on her own life.
Mahabharata is a fascinating story. It continues to inspire the researchers and writers. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, who teaches creative writing at the University of Houston, USA explores the mind of epical heroine Draupadi through her retelling of the epic the Mahabharata through “The Palace of Illusion” (Picador, 2008). Divakaruni’s Draupadi struggles between her desires for Karna and her duty towards her five husbands. Divakaruni also adds another element in the story by giving romantic twist to the relation between