Reimagining Women’s Freedom and Rights: A Study of Draupadi’s Portrayal in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Palace of Illusions

Abstract

The heroine of the Hindu epic Mahabharatha, Draupadi, speaks out on the value of women's liberation and rights in a patriarchal society. The narrative of Draupadi, the fire-born princess, is told in the book The Palace of Illusions, which also highlights Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's significant contribution to the portrayal of women as strong, brave, and resolute individuals who have the ability to alter history. It portrays the predicament of women in antiquity and highlights their bravery and will to lead fulfilling lives. The female characters in Divakarui are fearless, self-assured, and driven to fulfil their life's ambitions. She has the ability to make history that people remember for years to come. In her works, she has given women a more prominent position. The females characters are represented as equals to men in the patriarchal society. As seen in the story, women have a variety of roles in their life, including that of daughter, wife, mother, sister, and friend. The novel The Palace of Illusions sheds insight on the reasons for the pain and difficulties faced by female characters, in contrast to the epic Mahabharata. It draws attention to their significance in household life and helps people realise that they are both a part of earthly events and the great battle's forerunner. Chitra Banerjee breaks the taboo of all the powerful female characters in The Palace of Illusions, whose oppression and quiet gave them the resolve to oppose the systems that weigh down their sense of self. As a result, one of the most well-known female figures from ancient India is Draupadi.