“The Palace of Illusions” is the story of the fascinating Mahabharata written from another character’s perspective. The point of view of an author looks at the Mahabharata story from the eyes of one of the pivotal characters Paanchali, alias Draupadi, alias Krishnaa. The title “The Palace of illusions” suits the book and a story revolving around Panchali and The Palace of illusion.
The book writing is challenging when written from the pivotal character’s point of view without playing with the events, characters, or basic story. And it becomes difficult if written from the view of the character of the longest and the famous mythological epic books ever.
Personally felt odd or not convinced about two things in the book. First, a negligible one is Dushaala, Duryodhana’s sister is missing in the family tree. It’s odd because it is a book written by women and from a female point of view.
The second thing is Panchali’s hidden love, care, attraction, and respect for Karna. It’s started the day she saw his picture or “Swayamvar” till her last breath. She thinks about him in the important functions, and he is always in her heart. But it’s not the first book where such things are mentioned, shown, or written. To accept it or not completely depends on the reader or reader’s mindset, thinking, and the image of Karna in mind, etc. Just because he is Kunti’s eldest son or maybe due to some other reasons, it is not necessary to show the Panchali’s love, care, and attraction for him, and that also goes out of the Mahabharata’s base track. An entire book, events are written which show her love, care, attraction, and respect for him. Finally, it is a matter and fact between the author’s freedom of expression, thinking, writing style and readers’ thinking, mentality, etc.
A book or story based on Mahabharata is incomplete without mentioning “Shri Krishna.” So no need to mention Shri Krishna’s role in Draupadi’s life or Mahabharata separately, which is pictured very precisely and nicely. The Mahabharata events that are related to Draupadi were in the book specifically.
A precise description of aspects of a woman’s nature is a strength of the book. Their nature aspects like curiosity, jealousy, anger, doubt, to compete, to object, to question traditions, pride about own things, love and affection for jewelry, clothes, home decorating, patience, compulsion, etc. Draupadi’s role in the administration, her struggle for women’s rights along with her helplessness, how her opinions are neglected in the assembly, such things are pictured precisely. Her love for brother Dhri, Shikandi, Dhai Ma is descriptive. Her childhood, education, her place in her father’s life, Drupad’s place in her life, events before her marriage, her life at her father’s palace are attractive. Her relation with Kunti is described considering the current age son-mother-daughter-in-law relation. Her cold war with Kunti to control the life of Pandavas, struggle to build her palace as per choice is written well descriptive.
Panchali is the girl born from yagnya (sacred fire). Drupad lost a war against the students of Dronachaya, Pandavas. He knew the power of Dronacharya, insulted and upset Drupad performs Yagnya to get the son who will kill Dronacharya and take revenge. A son Drushtadyumn and an unwanted gift Draupadi born from yagnya with a prophecy for King Drupad. As per prophecy, the girl will change history. The story of how she changed everything we knew from Mahabharata but is still exciting and thrilling to read in an entertaining book.
The book has some very catchy lines that are written well, like Shikandi to Draupadi “wait for a man to avenge your honor, and you’ll wait forever,” or line from Draupadi’s learnings “expectations are like hidden rocks in your path – all they do is trip you up.”
It is a must-read book for Draupadi and her “the Palace of illusions,” her passion and a fulfilled dream left behind after the game and war.
Chetan Nikam 