Book Review: - The Palace of Illusions by 

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Summary
The Mahabharat, the world's most famous Indian epic, is reimagined through the eyes of an
extraordinary lady. The Palace of Illusions, which is relevant to today's war-torn world,
transports us to a time that is half history, half myth, and entirely fantastic. The novel,
narrated by Panchaali, the wife of the renowned Pandavas brothers in the Mahabharat, offers
a fresh take on this age-old story.
The story follows princess Panchaali from her birth in a fire to her lively balancing act like a
lady with five husbands who had been tricked out of their father's kingdom. Panchaali is
drawn into their journey to restore their heritage, accompanying them through years of exile
and a horrible civil war involving all of India's key kingdoms. Meanwhile, we never lose
sight of her strategic battles with her mother-in-law, her complicated friendship with the
enigmatic Krishna, or her secret affection to the mysterious man who is her husband's most
dangerous adversary. Panchaali is a fiery heroine who re-defines a universe of warriors, gods,
and fate's ever-manipulating hands for us.

Review

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's The Palace of Illusions is a reworking of the Hindu epic
Mahabharata. Imagining this storey through the eyes of a woman is an act of bravery in and
of itself. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni offers a fresh look at the Mahabharata. She recounts the
storey from the perspective of Paanchali (Draupadi) — the lady who started it all.

Prince Arjun, son of Indra (the rain god) and the finest bowman of his day, won Draupadi in
her Bachelorette or 'Swayamvar' would be an accurate traditional word. She married into an
exiled royal family and was soon invited to bed all five Pandava brothers. This was hardly the
ideal wedding Draupadi had envisioned. Divakaruni aims to unravel the underlying truths
behind these events by giving female characters voices.

The novel's first chapter, titled 'Fire,' delights readers by telling the whole and exquisite
narrative of Draupadi's birth. The first chapters of this book focus on Draupadi's upbringing,
her relationship with her twin brother, her father, her dai maa, and her connection with Lord
Krishna. You become acquainted with the protagonist as you read these chapters.

Draupadi's bond with Krishna is well written. She confides in him, seeks his guidance and
opinion, and asks him questions that others cannot. Krishna, on the other hand, behaves in
inexplicable ways. "I was captivated by Krishna because I couldn't figure him out." I
considered myself a keen observer of people and had previously evaluated the other
significant persons in my life. "All I knew was that I enjoyed the way he chuckled for no
reason, quirking up an eyebrow," Divakaruni wrote about their friendship.
Draupadi becomes more of a grey character as the novel progresses. You become enraged,
but you also feel sorry for her; you want to scold her while also comforting her. In some
cases, you want to go into the novel and tell her not to do certain things or make certain
decisions.
Paanchali's jealousy of the other female characters is very appealing to read. It gives the
impression that, in addition to being a queen, she is a woman who is envious of the other
women in her husband's lives. It's amusing that she's envious of Hidimba, Bheema's demonic
wife, or Subhadra, Krishna's sister and Arjuna's second wife. Her relationship with the queen
mother Kunti is typical of a 'Indian' Saas-Bahu relationship. Despite this, she adores and
holds high regard for all women.

Divakaruni has a lovely writing style. She softens the mystical elements of this epic, making
it easier to read while still engaging. Despite knowing the entire storey, the tragic events of
the Great War are written so elegantly that they keep us on edge.

Not only is the Great War detailed, but so are the events that followed it. The heartbreaking
end chapters with tragic events are vividly written. There are times when you can feel her
pain, sorrow, and helplessness.

It is a female-centric novel that gives women voices and power. "A man's power is like a bull
charging, whereas a woman's power moves aslant, like a serpent seeking its prey."
Understand the specific properties of your power. It will not get you what you want unless
you use it correctly. I was perplexed by his words. Wasn't power one-sided and
straightforward? Men just happened to have more of it in the world I knew. (I had hoped to
change this.)" says Divakaruni. It teaches readers that a girl can be a princess, a queen, a
wife, a lover, a friend, and a mother, full of pride at times, arrogant at others, righteous and
wrong, yet sacrificing and giving all at the same time.

The first and last chapters of this novel are both titled 'Fire,' connecting the beginning and the
end. According to Hindu beliefs, the end is the beginning of a new beginning. Divakaruni
writes of Draupadi's death scene, "I am buoyant and expansive and uncontainable—but I
have always been so, only I never knew it!" I am beyond my name and gender, as well as the
suffocating patterns of the ego. And yet, for the first time, I truly feel like Panchaali."

The Karn-Draupadi love angle is debatable, but it is what drew me in the most. Draupadi is
shown throughout the book thinking about Karn and what would have happened if she had
married Karn. "But the truth, when lived, is less glamorous than our fantasies," Divakaruni
writes.