DOCSLIB.ORG

Myth and Feminine Identity in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni' the Palace Of

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Myth and Feminine Identity in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni' the Palace Of Journal of Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology ISSN No : 1006-7930 Myth and Feminine Identity in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’ The Palace of Illusions Akshaya. J, M. Phil English, St. John’s Arts and Science College, Ammandivilai. Abstract Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni holds a prominent place in Indian English Writing. Divakaruni’s novel The Palace of Illusions, the re-telling of Vyasa’s The Mahabharata has uniqueness of its own. The Palace of Illusions is about women discrimination, their struggles, identity, male domination, unique female perspectives and positions of women during the period of The Mahabharata. Draupadi’s life shows, how women are expected and forced to accept the concept of tradition and culture without any questions. The views of Draupadi are totally different from those of ordinary women and the outcomes are as powerful as she is. Her determination and courage has been explained all through the novel. It has its own charm to hold on the reader. Whether it is ancient or the modern period the life of women has not changed, it has had only challenges to face and act according to the context. This paper deals with how a woman born as a princess suffered in her life. Draupadi’s life seeks to break the shackles of stereotypical concept of how women can be women. This paper attempts to describe myth and modernity clashing with each other to Volume XII, Issue V, 2020 Page No: 3475 Journal of Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology ISSN No : 1006-7930 give birth to a new face. It offers a new interpretation of the voice of Draupadi as depicted by the novelist. Keywords: Myth, Feminine, Religion, Primitive, Tradition. The study of mythology needs no longer be looked on as an escape from reality into the fantasies of primitive people, but as a search for the deeper understanding of the human mind. It explicates the modern world of science how myth is essential and how it functions in the lives of the people. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni explores and creates a new world through her novels which are based on the platform of myth. Most myths are instructive, teach human being how to live and act as a guide to social norms. They are the explanation of facts and events, whether natural or cultural. Through stories, the mankind can heal and renew their strength to fight against their problems and lead a peaceful life. Myths give self - confidence, and they inspire human to attain their goals like supernatural heroes, who faced many obstacles in their journey. The reappearance of myth has been presented with a modern perspective in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Palace of Illusions. Indian history is inseparable from myth. The narratives of the epic Mahabharata occupy a major space in Indian popular culture. In the words of B. Black, “Mahabharata is one of the defining cultural narratives in the construction of masculine and feminine gender roles in ancient India, and its numerous telling and retellings have helped shape Indian gender and social norms ever since” (11). Volume XII, Issue V, 2020 Page No: 3476 Journal of Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology ISSN No : 1006-7930 In the novel, The Palace of Illusions is a magical place built by Maya, the architect of the Rakshasas on receiving instructions from Maya for Draupadi and her five husbands soon after their marriage. It plays very important part in shaping Draupadi’s identity as an individual and provides her the space to grow. That is the reason why Divakaruni titles her novel, The Palace of Illusions. The story begin with Draupadi’s birth from fire and it maturates from reflecting on the life of Draupadi and ends with her final departure. The grandmother DhaiMaa used to tell Draupadi the story of her birth. Draupadi doesn’t like the way her father treats her when she comes out of the fire. Even King Draupad feels suspicion about the prophecy, that she would change the course of history. “Behold, we give you this girl, a gift beyond what you asked for. Take good care of her, for she will change the course of history” (5). Draupadi, is an offspring of his fire for vengeance against Drona, his onetime friend-turned-foe. She is born out the sacrificial fire, which he lights seeking revenge against Drona. He prays for a male progeny who would achieve this end, and is blessed with a son name Dhristadyumna. Draupadi, who comes immediately after her brother, is not expected by either the priests who perform the ceremony of King Draupad. Her birth is accompanied by the divine prophecy that she was born to change the history. Draupadi’s first impact was on education, which is not given to her as her brother was given priority over her. Her tutor told her brother to inform her that “A Kshatriya woman’s highest purpose in life is to support the warriors in her life” (26). Her father neglected her education. This shows that nobody Volume XII, Issue V, 2020 Page No: 3477 Journal of Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology ISSN No : 1006-7930 cared about the education of women and women were required to do, what men wanted them to do. Education was not given to women as for men because their duty is to take care of their husbands and to pray that they die with glory on the battlefield. The position of women in the Indian society is restricted to the home and all kinds of adventures like war, hunting, expeditions, and unlimited freedom are meant only for men. This rigid social structure does not allow her the opportunity which was given to her bother. The hegemonic patriarchal power is manifested in the incident of Draupadi’s marriage. She has gained the privilege of selecting her life partner in Swayamvar. But it became a turning point in her life. Arjun, the third Pandava wins the archery contest conducted by Draupad to marry off his beautiful daughter. His attention in keeping this contest is to allure Arjun to attend the swayamwara, because he knows that Arjun is the greatest archer of the time. His wish fulfilled, but it brings him a problem, when Yudhistra declares that all the five brothers will marry Draupadi, according to the instructions of his mother Kunti, “All five of you must marry this woman” (108), which was against the norm. Polygamy was common among Kshatriya men but polyandry was unheard of. It makes her astonish. Women were prescribed to be chaste, loyal and dedicated to a single man in their lives. But here Draupadi for the first time practiced polyandry. It was actually told by Kunti by mistake, but no one considers her as a human being, She was shared by five men, as if she were an object. But still she showed her strength and obedience towards her mother-in- Volume XII, Issue V, 2020 Page No: 3478 Journal of Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology ISSN No : 1006-7930 law by marrying all five brothers. This shows women are always treated as the other or secondary being despite of their birth as a mythical being and a princess. The same situation took place when she was gambled away by her husband in Duryodhan’s court. Draupadi has been humiliated by Duryodhan’s act of tyranny at the court in front of all the elders: “I found myself in court, a hundred male eyes burning through me. Gathering my disordered saree around me, I demanded help from my husbands” (191).It always told that the husband should give his wife protection, shelter, love and care. But here she is a princess and the wife of the Great Pandava brothers. She has five husbands to take care of her, but none of the came to rescue her when she was humiliated by Duryodhan. In The Palace of Illusions, Draupadi is presented not only a strong woman but also as a sorrowful person who could not marry Karna, just because of his birth. Here she is portrayed as the victim of the society. Kunti’s character is given as the plotting mother-in-law in the novel. Kunti always think only about her children’s honour, wealth and happiness. But she failed to understand the sufferings or feelings of her daughters-in-law. The Palace of Illusions is a revisionist text which retells women’s value in society and re-examines women’s lives. This revisionist literary text helps to bring out the modern issues like identity, marginalization and discrimination of women folk in the patriarchal society. In the original text, they had no voice, choice or identity of her own but Divakaruni brings out all these and give a life to these characters. Volume XII, Issue V, 2020 Page No: 3479 Journal of Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology ISSN No : 1006-7930 The Palace of Illusions highlights the neglected women character in the Epic. Vyasa’s The Mahabharata shows Draupadi as a character who took birth to destroy the Kauravas. The Palace of Illusions shows her as a reasonable person who was not able to stop the destruction of Karuvas. In a review Tariqa Tandon says that “Divakaruni’s interpretation provides a humanistic touch to the epic, making it more realistic, more relatable, and more personal” which gives new insight to the epic. Draupadi is presented as having a very impressive, brilliant and strong personality and is projected as the primary cause for the battle of Kurukshetra. Works Cited Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee. The Palace of Illusions. London: Picador, 2008. Print. Black, B. “Eavesdropping on the Epic: Listeners in The Mahabharata.” Gender and Narrative in the Mahabharata.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Complete List of Books in Library Acc No Author Title of Book Subject Publisher Year R.No
    Complete List of Books in Library Acc No Author Title of book Subject Publisher Year R.No. 1 Satkari Mookerjee The Jaina Philosophy of PHIL Bharat Jaina Parisat 8/A1 Non-Absolutism 3 Swami Nikilananda Ramakrishna PER/BIO Rider & Co. 17/B2 4 Selwyn Gurney Champion Readings From World ECO `Watts & Co., London 14/B2 & Dorothy Short Religion 6 Bhupendra Datta Swami Vivekananda PER/BIO Nababharat Pub., 17/A3 Calcutta 7 H.D. Lewis The Principal Upanisads PHIL George Allen & Unwin 8/A1 14 Jawaherlal Nehru Buddhist Texts PHIL Bruno Cassirer 8/A1 15 Bhagwat Saran Women In Rgveda PHIL Nada Kishore & Bros., 8/A1 Benares. 15 Bhagwat Saran Upadhya Women in Rgveda LIT 9/B1 16 A.P. Karmarkar The Religions of India PHIL Mira Publishing Lonavla 8/A1 House 17 Shri Krishna Menon Atma-Darshan PHIL Sri Vidya Samiti 8/A1 Atmananda 20 Henri de Lubac S.J. Aspects of Budhism PHIL sheed & ward 8/A1 21 J.M. Sanyal The Shrimad Bhagabatam PHIL Dhirendra Nath Bose 8/A2 22 J.M. Sanyal The Shrimad PHIL Oriental Pub. 8/A2 Bhagabatam VolI 23 J.M. Sanyal The Shrimad PHIL Oriental Pub. 8/A2 Bhagabatam Vo.l III 24 J.M. Sanyal The Shrimad Bhagabatam PHIL Oriental Pub. 8/A2 25 J.M. Sanyal The Shrimad PHIL Oriental Pub. 8/A2 Bhagabatam Vol.V 26 Mahadev Desai The Gospel of Selfless G/REL Navijvan Press 14/B2 Action 28 Shankar Shankar's Children Art FIC/NOV Yamuna Shankar 2/A2 Number Volume 28 29 Nil The Adyar Library Bulletin LIT The Adyar Library and 9/B2 Research Centre 30 Fraser & Edwards Life And Teaching of PER/BIO Christian Literature 17/A3 Tukaram Society for India 40 Monier Williams Hinduism PHIL Susil Gupta (India) Ltd.
    [Show full text]
  • Mumbai Macbeth: Gender and Identity in Bollywood Adaptations Rashmila Maiti University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
    University of Arkansas, Fayetteville ScholarWorks@UARK Theses and Dissertations 8-2018 Mumbai Macbeth: Gender and Identity in Bollywood Adaptations Rashmila Maiti University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd Part of the Asian Studies Commons, Comparative Literature Commons, and the Literature in English, British Isles Commons Recommended Citation Maiti, Rashmila, "Mumbai Macbeth: Gender and Identity in Bollywood Adaptations" (2018). Theses and Dissertations. 2905. http://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/2905 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UARK. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UARK. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Mumbai Macbeth: Gender and Identity in Bollywood Adaptations A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies by Rashmila Maiti Jadavpur University Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, 2007 Jadavpur University Master of Arts in English Literature, 2009 August 2018 University of Arkansas This dissertation is approved for recommendation to the Graduate Council. M. Keith Booker, PhD Dissertation Director Yajaira M. Padilla, PhD Frank Scheide, PhD Committee Member Committee Member Abstract This project analyzes adaptation in the Hindi film industry and how the concepts of gender and identity have changed from the original text to the contemporary adaptation. The original texts include religious epics, Shakespeare’s plays, Bengali novels which were written pre- independence, and Hollywood films. This venture uses adaptation theory as well as postmodernist and postcolonial theories to examine how women and men are represented in the adaptations as well as how contemporary audience expectations help to create the identity of the characters in the films.
    [Show full text]
  • Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's the Palace of Illusions
    (RJELAL) Research Journal of English Language and Literature Vol.4.Issue 1.2016 A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal (January-March) http://www.rjelal.com; Email:[email protected] RESEARCH ARTICLE CHITRA BANERJEE DIVAKARUNI’S THE PALACE OF ILLUSIONS: REVISITING THE EPIC THROUGH THE EYES OF AN EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN PRIYANKA P.S. KUMAR M.A., English Literature ABSTRACT Epics always fascinate and attract both readers and writers. Various and various interpretations of the epics are prominent in the literary world. With the rise of different psycho analytic theories, feminist theories, cultural theories etc, writers began to explicate and refurbish the various epic characters. This brought about new and new retellings of the epics. The Indian epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata always allured the writers because of the complex characters and the various issues discussed in these epics. These peculiarities gave rise to fresh interpretations of the epic stories and characters. Among the two epics, the Mahabharata is one in which we meet many strong women characters. This specialty of the epic equipped the writers to retell the epic using various feminist theories. Usually epic narratives presented women on an idealistic viewpoint. Women are presented as epitomes of patience and tolerance, as the silent sufferers of all the miseries that fall upon them. But the contemporary women writers contributed much to bring about a change in such a perspective. They recreated the women characters by giving them their own voice, by making them independent and strong to express their own choices and opinions. With the emergence of post modern theories, the notable women characters in the epics were looked into or appraised with fresher outlooks and with deeper insight.
    [Show full text]
  • Re-Writing the Myth of Draupadi in Pratibha Ray's Yajnaseni and Chitra
    Athens Journal of Philology - Volume 7, Issue 3, September 2020 – Pages 171-188 Re-Writing the Myth of Draupadi in Pratibha Ray’s Yajnaseni and Chitra Bannerjee Divakaruni’s The Palace of Illusions By Mohar Daschaudhuri* All history, accounts of religion, social thought and philosophy reflect woman as the “other” even while speaking for her. Myth constitutes the elemental structures and patterns which shape the thought of a people. This paper explores how Pritabha Ray‟s novel Yajnaseni and Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni‟s The Palace of Illusions re-write the myth of Draupadi, the legendary wife of the five Pandava warriors in the epic Mahabharata. The two contemporary women writers from India recreate a protagonist who voices her opinions, musings, desires in a first person narrative from a woman‟s point of view. As upholder of Dharma, she is at once a player and a pawn in the patriarchal tale of jealousy and revenge. Yet, remaining within the bounds of Dharma, Draupadi, the protagonist in the novels, interrogates the symbolic values attributed to femininity, the meaning of duty, loss and death. Through a feminist re-reading the authors redefine the notion of Svadharma (an individual‟s duties) vis-à-vis the duties of a woman towards her husband and her society. The re-invented myth resists „spousification‟ and deification of the woman, rendering her instead, a palpable character, vulnerable as well as independent. While Ray‟s character is in a search of a spiritual rebirth and relies on her inner deity, Krishna, for guidance all along the tortuous path of Dharma during her life and after her abandonment by her husbands, Divakaruni‟s heroine is a modern day adolescent, impetuous, intelligent and spontaneous.
    [Show full text]
  • The Palace of Illusions : a Feminist Critique
    [VOLUME 6 I ISSUE 2 I APRIL – JUNE 2019] e ISSN 2348 –1269, Print ISSN 2349-5138 http://ijrar.com/ Cosmos Impact Factor 4.236 -THE PALACE OF ILLUSIONS : A FEMINIST CRITIQUE Meeti Ojha1 & Dr. L.S. Gorasya2 1Research Scholar, Vikram University Campus, Ujjain. 2Associate Professor of English, Govt. Madhav College, Ujjain. Received: April 03, 2019 Accepted: May 16, 2019 ABSTRACT: Women's writing is a medium of expression and an outlet for one's emotions and desires. It has surely gained momentum in the present age. Far from being submissive and frail, we now see women as iconoclasts. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni in her masterpiece The Palace of Illusions explores how the patriarchal set - up of the society has dominated even the epic Mahabharata. She shows the fact that for centuries all over the world women have been forced to be in the marginalized position. The events of Mahabharata are narrated by Panchali , therefore her voice acquires universal significance. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's The Palace of Illusions is a judicious retelling of the Mahabharata myth in a feminist perspective. Key Words: Iconoclast - Patriarchal - Marginalized - Feminist – Retelling - Mahabharata. The writers of the Indian Diaspora have written about various complications faced by them in their works. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an Indian American writer. She was born in India but later on migrated to America. She is best known for a creative genre called magical realism. Her major works include The Mistress of Spices (1997), Sister of My Heart (1999), The Vine of Desire (2003) and The Palace of Illusions (2009). She is known for her careful exploration of the immigrant experience, particularly that of South Asian Women.
    [Show full text]
  • Draupadi: an Epitome of Feminine Assertion in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’S the Palace of Illusions Mrs
    Draupadi: An Epitome of Feminine Assertion in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Palace of Illusions Mrs. V. Vanitha Asst. Professor (SG), Dept. of English, SVS College of Engineering Coimbatore India Abstract Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an Indo-American writer. She has won many accolades and awards. Among her novels The Palace of Illusions captures the magical world of epic for its twenty century readers. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni writes that she is unsatisfied by the portrayal of women in the Mahabharata. The present paper makes a study of Draupadi’s perspective in the Mahabharata and her struggle to come from the suppression. Indians are fond of talking and celebrating their magnificent history. The Palace of Illusions is a story of friendship, freedom, betrayal, war, rage and revenge. Breaking free from the trends, retellings are the genre where a character like Draupadi has been presented as a heroic sovereign in the epic of Mahabharata. The character of Draupadi in the book The Palace of Illusions has been narrated as one who was firm and a woman with rigid determination. It is to interpret the identity and individualism of a woman in the society. Keywords: Gender, Subdual, Feminism, Assertion, Identity Indian epics are fabulous gifts of the Indian people to the literature of the world. Epics always mesmerize and attract both readers and writers. Epics may deal with such various subjects as myths, heroic legends, histories, edifying religious tales, animal stories, or philosophical or moral theories. With the rise of different psycho analytic theories, feminist www.ijellh.com 330 theories, cultural theories etc., writers began to explicate and refurbish the various epic characters.
    [Show full text]
  • Journal File E4da3b7
    GNOSIS (An International Journal of English Language and Literature) Vol. 1 – No. 3 July 2015 Editor Saikat Banerjee Department of English Dr. K.N. Modi University, Newai, Jaipur Rajasthan, India Publisher Yking Books G-13, S.S. Tower, Dhamani Street, Chaura Rasta, Jaipur - 302003, Rajasthan, India Phone No. - 91-141-4020251, M.: 9414056846 E-mail: [email protected] Web: ykingbooks.com DISCLAIMER: Articles and views published in this journal DO NOT necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Editorial Board. © COPYRIGHT: Reproduction of the contents of GNOSIS in whole or in part without the prior permission of the Editor is prohibited. All disputes concerning the journal are subject to Jaipur Jurisdiction. Table of Contents Editorial 7 Articles Dissonance and the Dissolution of the status quo: Antagonistic Anachronisms in the Works of Arthur Miller and Harold Pinter 11 —Eugene Ngezem Mapping Socio-cultural Paradigms in Mukhtar Mai’s In the Name of Honour: A Memoir 19 — Shiv Govind Puri Historical Consciousness and Fiction: World War II Experience in Easterine Kire’s Mari and Richard Flanagan’s The Narrow Road to the Deep South 25 — Lalan Kishore Singh Kalikatha: Via Bypass in English: The Linguistic (In)Congruency between the Original and the Translation 34 —Vikas Jain Notions of Chastity in Lalithambika Antherjanam’s “The Goddess of Revenge” 42 —Sreebitha P.V. Good as God: Iris Murdoch—A Kaleidoscopic Dimension of a Philosopher’s Mind 51 —Manroop S. Dhingra Women’s Diasporic Sphere: Emancipatory Dilemma 62 —Sandeep Kr. Sheoran Of Fate, Freewill, God: An Illustrated Retelling of Devdutt Pattanaik’s Jaya 70 —Minnie Mattheew Draupadi: Manifestation of Victim as Victor in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Palace of Illusions 75 —Radhika B.
    [Show full text]
  • Modernisms in India
    Modernisms in India Modernisms in India Supriya Chaudhuri The Oxford Handbook of Modernisms Edited by Peter Brooker, Andrzej Gąsiorek, Deborah Longworth, and Andrew Thacker Print Publication Date: Dec 2010 Subject: Literature, Literary Studies - 20th Century Onwards, Literary Studies - Postcolonial Literature Online Publication Date: Sep 2012 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199545445.013.0053 Abstract and Keywords This article examines the history of modernism in India. It suggests that though the dis­ tinctions between modernity, modernization, and modernism are particularly complicated in the case of India, they remain crucial to a historical understanding of the ‘modern’ in all its senses. The article argues that the characteristic feature of Indian modernism in In­ dia is that it is manifestly social and historical rather than a hypostasis of the new as in the West. It contends that modernisms in India are deeply implicated in the construction of a secular national identity at home in the world, and in this respect answer a historical need to fashion a style for the modern as it is locally experienced. Keywords: modernism, India, modernization, modernity, national identity, hypostasis THE distinctions between modernity, modernization, and modernism are particularly com­ plicated in the case of India, but remain crucial to a historical understanding of the ‘mod­ ern’ in all its senses. Modernity, as a social and intellectual project, and modernization, as its means, are associated with the influence in India of Europe and of Enlightenment ra­ tionality from the eighteenth century onwards. Modernism, as an aesthetic, is far more limited in period and scope. Nevertheless, just as recent cultural criticism has proposed the existence of ‘alternative modernities’1 not native to the West, so too our attention has been drawn to ‘alternative modernisms’, or ‘modernisms at large’.2 The question of peri­ odicity, as of location, is complicated by the historical fact that modernism as an aesthetic was simultaneously restricted and elitist, and international and democratic.
    [Show full text]
  • Sai Nilayam Satsang Consider November to Be the Luckiest Month As That Was When Everybody Started Witnessing the Divine Miracles of Baba
    CHAPTER 1 BONDING BETWEEN BABA, PRASANNA AND SRINIVAS SASTRY This chapter recounts the story of how bonding between Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, Srinivas Sastry & Prasanna came to be. Listening to the countless miracles that took place at Sri Sai Nilayam, one can imagine the intimate relationship the Sri Shirdi Sai Baba has with Sastry Uncle’s family. Given the kind of love and grace Baba has showered upon their family, especially upon Sastry Uncle and Prasanna Aunty, one might assume, and for good reason, that they must have been ardent devotees of Baba since a very long time. But one would be surprised at the fact that they hadn’t heard of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba or Shirdi until the year 1996. Until that year they would regularly go on pilgrimages to the holy places of Annavaram and Tirupati, the holy abodes of Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana and Lord Vishnu respectively. The former is believed to be an incarnation of the latter. During the late 1990’s Srinivas Sastry was employed with Glaxo, but owing to certain health issues he would resign from his job. While working, Srinivas had bought a flat in an apartment complex located in Kakinada. Later when he resigned from his job, his friend, one Suryanarayana suggested that they invest a certain amount of money and start a business. Unfortunately, the venture turned out to be a disaster, and suffering from huge financial losses, Srinivas would eventually shut the business down. Having invested all their money in an unfruitful venture, Srinivas Sastry and Prasanna were financially crippled and were staring at an uncertain future.
    [Show full text]
  • Authorship, History, and Race in Three Contemporary Retellings of the Mahabharata
    Authorship, History, and Race in Three Contemporary Retellings of the Mahabharata: The Palace of Illusions, The Great Indian Novel, and The Mahabharata (Television Mini Series) A dissertation presented to the faculty of the College of Fine Arts of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Nandaka M. Kalugampitiya August 2016 © 2016 Nandaka M. Kalugampitiya. All Rights Reserved. 2 This dissertation titled Authorship, History, and Race in Three Contemporary Retellings of the Mahabharata: The Palace of Illusions, The Great Indian Novel, and The Mahabharata (Television Mini Series) by NANDAKA M. KALUGAMPITIYA has been approved for Interdisciplinary Arts and the College of Fine Arts by Vladimir Marchenkov Professor of Interdisciplinary Arts Elizabeth Sayrs Interim Dean, College of Fine Arts 3 Abstract KALUGAMPITIYA, NANDAKA M., Ph.D., August 2016, Interdisciplinary Arts Authorship, History, and Race in Three Contemporary Retellings of the Mahabharata: The Palace of Illusions, The Great Indian Novel, and The Mahabharata (Television Mini Series) Director of Dissertation: Vladimir Marchenkov In this study, I explore the manner in which contemporary artistic reimaginings of the Sanskrit epic the Mahabharata with a characteristically Western bent intervene in the dominant discourse on the epic. Through an analysis of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Palace of Illusions (2008), Shashi Tharoor’s The Great Indian Novel (1989), and Peter Brook’s theatrical production The Mahabharata (1989 television mini-series), I argue that these reimaginings represent a tendency to challenge the cultural authority of the Sanskrit epic in certain important ways. The study is premised on the recognition that the three works of art in question respond, some more consciously than others, to three established assumptions regarding the Mahabharata respectively: (1) the Sanskrit epic as a product of divine authorship; (2) the Sanskrit epic as history; and (3) the Sanskrit epic as the story of a particular race.
    [Show full text]
  • Mahabharata Today: Tradition and Modernity in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’S the Palace of Illusions and Kavita Kane’S Karna’S Wife
    / 115 Mahabharata Today: Tradition and Modernity in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Palace of Illusions and Kavita Kane’s Karna’s Wife TANUSREE GHOSH Introduction n American journalist Fareed Zakaria once said in an interview that the difference Abetween Indians and Americans could be explained simply: Americans will ask, ‘where are you going?’, whereas Indians will ask ‘where are you coming from?’ This apparently simple anecdote says a lot. In producing science fiction, Indian writers, with a few exceptions, have not been quite as successful as the West, though they have fared better with fantasy. It is a truth that in Indian scenario a majority of writers and readers remain obsessed with myth. We are quite stuck in reimagining the past. But the question may arise ‘why?’ To find out the answer of this why, it can be said that, it is not the future that has captured our political imagination and our dreams for society. We map, we project our ideas of utopias, of good governance onto our myths. Returning to Zakaria, we are more interested in where we have come from than in where we are headed to. We often re-imagine a golden age, an ideal time. So we map our present onto the literature of the past. We look back to the mythic past as a place of great imaginative power that can shape our political fantasies and destinies. Growing up in India, we are surrounded by stories. Since our childhood days whether we are at home or outside; whether it was during customary festivities at home or school or an ad hoc story time by an elderly relative, stories from our grandparents, we imbibed these stories consciously or subconsciously.
    [Show full text]
  • Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Draupadi by Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad Ghatotkacha's Blog
    Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Draupadi by Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad Ghatotkacha's blog. The pseudo-secularist anti-Hindus efforts to denigrate and rundown the Hindu faith and practices have to be admired at least for their unabating and untiring perseverance. Do any of the so-called “Hindu fanatics” bother to keep up relentless salvos against the enemies of Sanatana Dharma? What triggered this post is the following news item: Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad's book that defames Draupadi has been selected for a Central Sahitya Akademi award. Selection panel constituted by Congress (Italian) had purposefully nominated this novel which denigrates Draupadi who is an iconic feminine character and an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna to hurt the sentiments of Hindus. One of the main objections raised by the concerned Hindu organizations is the interpretation of Draupadi as someone who forever craves for carnal pleasures. Following strong protests and complaint filed by from Hindu organisations headed by Prajna Bharati , the Human Right Commission sought explanation from the AP Government. The Human Right Commission has also stayed the Award function proposed on February 16. Y.L Prasad who holds Ph.Ds in Hindi and Telugu from Andhra University. He was close to NTR and became a Rajya Sabha MP in 1996. This man who was awarded a Padmashri in 2003 for Literature & Education could not resist a dig at a highly revered character like Draupadi, who is one of the Panchakanyaka . Draupadi , Ahalya , Mandodari , Sita and Tara are remembered by Hindu married ladies as the epitomes of chastity. These five noble ladies set the highest standards of conduct for a chaste Hindu lady.
    [Show full text]