Between Epic and Fiction: Subaltern Re-Imaginations of Draupadi in The Palace of Illusions

Abstract

The Mahabharata, one of the greatest epics of Indian tradition, presents Draupadi as a pivotal yet silenced figure whose life is shaped by duty, sacrifice, and dynastic politics. The present paper deals with the re-imagining of Draupadi in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Palace of Illusions, foregrounding the silenced dimensions of her identity that remain marginal in the epic tradition. Through the narrative strategy of first-person self-articulation, the text reconstructs Draupadi’s subjectivity by situating her emotions, desires, and struggles at the center of interpretation. Episodes such as the disrobing scene are recast not merely as moments of victimhood but as sites of resistance, while the Palace emerges as a metaphorical space of selfhood and creative assertion. In negotiating the dialogue between myth and modern feminist discourse, the novel illustrates how subaltern re-imagination functions as a mode of cultural decolonization. Thus, Draupadi’s re-voicing acquires enduring relevance in reshaping the paradigms of identity, power, and tradition.