Book Review of ‘The Palace of Illusions’ by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
People who believe feminism is a recent concept, this book is for you. It makes us feel how deprived we are of a female perspective in our tales, epics and mythologies. There have been strong female characters in the epics like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, most of which are left unheard or unnoticed since men wrote their tales.
The Palace of Illusions is a very imaginative, fresh and emphatic perspective on the Hindu epic Mahabharata, through the lens of Draupadi, one of the most popular and controversial heroines of Hindu mythology.
Most of us have come across Mahabharata in some form (Thanks to BR Chopra). But people who do not know, Draupadi was the fiery princess born from a yajna (fire sacrifice) organized by King Drupada of Panchala. The novel starts with her lonely childhood, where her brother Drishtdhyum is her only companion and Krishna, her only friend. The story then elaborates on her various stages of life, taking flashbacks in between.
Arjun wins her hand during the Swayamwara. But she is made to marry all the five brothers because of her mother-in-law’s decision. Already facing problems due to polyandry, the princess lives in exile with her husbands. Her adapting to household works, struggles of living with five husbands, the harshness of forest living, all have been described very well.
She tries hard to fight the social structures around her. But from very early on in her life, she has to bow down to higher values — like protecting one’s family honour and choosing for the greater good of the kingdom.
“What did I learn that day in the sabha?
All this time, I’d believed in my power over my husbands. I’d believed that because they loved me, they would do anything for me. But now I saw that though they did love me — as much perhaps as any man can love — there were other things they loved more. Their notions of honour, loyalty toward each other, and reputation were more important to them than my suffering.
The author also explores her relationship with Arjun, and Karna, shown as her secret admiration. Unlike the popular versions of Mahabharata, the emotions shown here are rawer, more coloured with Draupadi’s joys and doubts, her struggles and heartbreaks.
The ending and storyline have not been altered. A lot has been done around it, but not on it. While many of us are already familiar with the end, we still wish better for Draupadi and Karna throughout the book.
We cannot force ourselves to love — or to withhold it. At best, we can curb our actions. The heart itself is beyond control. That is its power and its weakness.
My friend Shweta gifted me this book, and I have absolutely enjoyed it. People into Hindu mythology must read this book. But if you aren’t very familiar, I advise you to get some context before, to make the read more appealing: Link to Mahabharata Plot.
