The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

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The Palace of Illusions Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

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The Palace of Illusions

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

The Palace of Illusions Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni A reimagining of the world-famous Indian epic, the Mahabharat—told from the point of view of an amazing woman.

Relevant to today’s war-torn world, The Palace of Illusions takes us back to a time that is half history, half myth, and wholly magical. Narrated by Panchaali, the wife of the legendary Pandavas brothers in the Mahabharat, the novel gives us a new interpretation of this ancient tale.

The novel traces the princess Panchaali's life, beginning with her birth in fire and following her spirited balancing act as a woman with five husbands who have been cheated out of their father’s kingdom. Panchaali is swept into their quest to reclaim their birthright, remaining at their side through years of exile and a terrible civil war involving all the important kings of India. Meanwhile, we never lose sight of her strategic duels with her mother-in-law, her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna, or her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husbands' most dangerous enemy. Panchaali is a fiery female redefining for us a world of warriors, gods, and the ever-manipulating hands of fate.

The Palace of Illusions Details

Date : Published February 12th 2008 by Doubleday (first published 2008) ISBN : 9780385515993 Author : Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni Format : Hardcover 360 pages Genre : Fiction, Cultural, India, Fantasy, Mythology, Historical, Historical Fiction

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From Reader Review The Palace of Illusions for online ebook

Shravanthi says

How can you tell an ancient story in new light? And how can you tell it to a generation, who as children have literally grown up with this story, and as adults will have high expectations of it?

Chitra Bannerjee Divakaruni has the answer in The Palace of Illusions.

The story of Mahabharata is nothing new to me. A kingdom greater than any - cousins fighting for the throne - sacrifices, promises, boons, curses - war - bereavement - atonement. An epic. The Mahabharata is an elaborate story, which can be perceived from any character's point-of-view and still have a rich storytelling experience. So, why not tell in from a woman's perspective?

While I was growing up, Mahabharata was always about the virtues of the brave men who went to war. There wasn't one story about what it was to be a woman during those epic times. This book is the wonderful tale of the woman who was the cornerstone of Mahabharata. Told in first person, this tale takes us to the depth of Draupadi's soul and shows us her views as the events of the great epic unfurl.

THE MODERN DRAUPADI: The best part about The Palace of Illusions was that, as a modern woman, I felt very connected to Draupadi. How Chitra ji manages to walk the fine line between the old and new interpretations of the character of a 'strong woman' is beyond me!

The author mixes the right amount of fiction into the archaic tale without taking away its original flavor. I mean, I have never heard of Draupadi's love story in the original. (view spoiler) Draupadi is a fire born princess with lofty goals for her life. Sadly, none of them come true when she married the Pandavas. It is only fair that she keep thinking of where things went wrong for her and wondering if she married the right guy(s).

Draupadi's love story arc comes as a surprise because I have never imagined this possibility before! I just assumed that Draupadi accepted her life and marriage with satisfaction. The version that we have all been given has been avoiding a crucial detail about her character - Draupadi is a woman driven by resentment and regret of her own choices. How could she be happy in that miserable married life? Have we been painting Draupadi as a meek martyr when she clearly was much more?

It was a new take on Panchaali and I think it fits her perfectly. Brilliant interpretation Chitra ji! It might or might not be true. I don't know if other interpretations tell the story the same way, but you have convinced me of your interpretation so beautifully, that now I begin to wonder if your version is the original version and if the truth somehow got diluted in the million re-tellings.

DRAUPADI - A CHARACTER SKETCH Where do I begin? Wow.

Never have I ever read a story with a POV with such strong intentions and inner monologue. The story in The Palace of Illusions is the story of Draupadi from birth to death. She was a woman beyond her times. She was headstrong, intelligent, virtuous (in her own way), ambitious, proud and was a feminist believing that the place of a woman is not just in the back of the palace, but right next to her royal husband.

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Emotionally, we see the bitterness that shapes up Panchaali from the start. We see her angry, we see her withdraw, we see her contemplate, we see her lash out in blind fury, we see her curious, we see her loving. As the story progresses, the insight into Panchaali's inner doubts and fears become much our own. We see the princess who felt like a misfit at her own dad's place but eventually found a home in The Palace of Illusions. My heart goes out to her.

Panchaali's story is that of a woman so blindly confident of her unique destiny that she brought about her own misfortunes. Her pride fell. And then, she grew, learnt humility, kindness, surrender and acceptance. She grew to find a woman's power in her. She grew to identify her devotion to Krishna, and her love for him which is beyond body and mind.

I admit it. Usually when I think of Draupati, I only think of her shame and her terrible fate at the hands of Dushasha. I was so wrong. I hadn't given her much credit. Understanding Draupadi's background and her character was a privilege. It was amazing. I understood the bottled-up rage and fury against her husbands, the shame that befell the pride of the Queen of the Pandavas and the surrender that sparked from desperation and her love and devotion to Krishna.

It was amazing to fill in the emotional blanks that I had of Mahabharata when it comes to Draupati.

Throughout the story we see other women of her age - Sudheshana, Banumati, Subadra, Uttara. None of them even compare to her. None of them even come close to The Fire Princess! Not even Kunti, who after a point accepts that it isn't her place to rule over what the Panchali says. And that is the most inspiring part of Panchaali's story for me.

CHITRA'S WONDERFUL STORYTELLING: The author/poet has a way with words. Her words flow like honey and read like a poem. I was completely in love with her words while reading the book.

Chitra ji's art of storytelling comes out in the most unlikely places. Her idea to interpret Mahabharata from a new perspective is seen even in short snippets. For instance, we all know the part where Arjun and Duryodhan ask Krishna to join them in the war. In this story, this incident is told from Duryodhan's point of view, meaning we are privy to his arrogance and utter confidence in his victory, in contrast to the third- person, moralistic tale we have been hearing so far.

While telling a tale of this magnificent scale it's impossible to avoid villains. Sometimes, flawed characters need to remain flawed. Chitra ji's story had the compulsive need to seek goodness in flawed characters, and that felt far-fetched. It is okay for the characters to have chinks in their armors. I felt that the reasons the author gives to justify them were mere excuses. I just feel that when writing POV, it's okay not to idolize everyone.

Chitra ji brings out the chemistry between Panchaali and Kunti (the original Saas Bahu drama!) in a few entertaining pages. She has an ease of telling didactic incidents with a funny twist. She just told a convincing Mahabharata in less than 400 pages. I admire that. Well done!

PROS: 1) A fresh viewpoint 2) Intense

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3) Unapologetically human 4) Short, quick chapters 5) One-word chapter names (I love one-word chapter names) 6) Stays true to the original Mahabharata

CONS: 1) Difficult to read as a Mahabharata virgin. Should be familiar with the original story. 2) Glorifies almost everyone

The Palace of Illusions insures a place for Mahabharata in the modern bookshelf by baring a story that is incredibly true to humanity and intensely inspiring.

For graphic novel lovers, find a similarly intense (but not quite there) Draupadi: The Fire Born Princess

Manpreet Kaur says

I am really happy I picked up this book. I was truly bored of Mahabharata retellings and I never intended to read more of those. I am glad I do for this book is a MUST READ. Written from Draupadi's perspective, the book is just too good. Written beautifully with praiseworthy story telling, this book wouldn't disappoint you.

Vani says

‘Palace of Illusions’ by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni had been on my TBR list for years, but honestly, I wasn’t sure it was for me. As I review it today, I have only myself to blame. I was totally swept over by Chitra’s prose, mesmerized by the conviction with which she writes the story of one of the most complex characters of Mahabharata, that too, in first person. Kudos to the author for successfully presenting a fast paced compendium of this epic Indian text, which as it happens, is also one of the longest poems ever written (it is roughly ten times the length of the Iliad and the Odyssey combined, as per Wikipedia).

The narrative is telling of the life and travails of Draupadi, the woman who was born out of fire, married to five of the fiercest warriors of her time (the Pandavas), the queen who ruled one of the most magical of palaces, one who refused to learn the lessons her friend, Krishna, a God incarnate, taught her, a woman who was obsessed with vengeance, and spurned by the world for having been the cause of the great battle of Mahabharta, the battle that saw clans obliterated, and millions dead.

Through smart dialogue, the author cleverly etches out the character of Draupadi, careening a bit as she does this, from how this character has been portrayed in other versions of this epic tale, giving her faults and imperfections, likes and dislikes, loves and hates just as us humans (thus delineating her from the conditions surrounding her unnatural birth). The novel delves into the secrets of her life, the man she loved above her five husbands, her feelings as she witnessed acts of perfidy by people she considered her own, the ignominy of insults heaped on her by the world. In the end, the reader has become so much a part of this central character that just like her, he/she is craving for something to redeem her. And redemption happens, yes it does! I have yet to read a novel that'd a more satisfying ending as this. Definitely something for me to learn there!!

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Aastha says

I was intrigued as soon as I heard the plot of The Palace of Illusions, and I knew I was going to like it right away. I think Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni deserves three out of the five stars I gave her just for thinking of the idea itself. The Mahabharata has been part of India's ancient culture and history for the past 3000 years, and yet no one ever thought of narrating the epic from a different point of view.

Of course, I personally cheered at her choice of Draupadi as her narrator, having given a lot of thought to the treatment of women in the Mahabharata. Draupadi, or Panchaali, which is what she is called in this book, has been one of the most mysterious creatures in the grand epic. She has five husbands, the five Pandava brothers, but does not have the choice and freedom of a polygamous wedding, as she is passed around from brother to brother, every year. She has always been portrayed as the victim by all the accounts of the Mahabharata I have read, even though the readers knows little to nothing about her feelings. In this book, Draupadi is anything but the victim. She is shown as a fiercely independent, rebellious woman, who wants to take her destiny into her own hands. While her thoughts and actions sometimes made me less sympathetic towards her character, I still felt like she was empowered and strong-willed.

I won't go into the details of the book, as the Mahabharata is quite a complicated saga. However, I will say that it was very refreshing to read the story through Draupadi's gendered lens.

The author did a wonderful job of sticking to the script of the original epic. Had she strayed from it, she wouldn't be according it the respect that it deserves. But as such, she rewrites the story so masterfully, changing nothing but Draupadi's feelings. These were a bit intriguing to me, as her relationship with Krishna and Karna are brought into play. These feelings are not part of the original Mahabharata, and that is about the only liberty she took with the script. I thought they were a nice addition, and it helped make the book a little more universal, because who doesn't like a love story? But I will get into the reasons why I was a bit disappointed nonetheless.

If I had to criticize this book, I would say two things:

--The manner in which gender roles are portrayed is a little constrictive. It seems that the author is a cultural feminist, one who believes that there are differences in the nature of men and women. Men fight wars, display characteristics of aggression, strength, competitiveness and violence. Women use the power of words, and are supposed to be caring, nurturing, motherly, and cooperative. Most South Asian feminist would agree with this point of view, but it would have been really wonderful if Chitra Banerjee had broken through these "stereotypes" a little and ensured that the reader remained more sympathetic towards Draupadi when she did not follow these gender roles, instead of giving off the impression that she is a bad mother and wife. For example, I would have LOVED to read something along the lines of: "well yes, maybe she is negligent of her children, but she never wanted children in the first place; in fact, she never wanted this fate for herself, so it is useless to criticize her for not fulfilling her duty".

--This is a personal thing too, but I have noticed that most women's self-empowerment stories always have to do with secret feelings or affairs that they have with men that are not their husbands. Although that is not the only way that women can empower themselves, but most stories about South Asian women seem to show them in this light. This is not the first (think Brick Lane, Pikoo's Diary). I just wish that Draupadi's feelings for Krishna and Karna had been toned down a bit, to show that illicit thoughts or affairs are not the only way for a woman to empower herself.

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Despite this, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in either women's issues or grand epics. The writing was in no way spectacular, but it portrayed emotions adequately enough. I wanted to read it again as soon as I finished it, and I have a feeling I will never think of the Mahabharata in the same way again.

Mahinn says

I don't know why I do this to myself. Why I bother with this author when book after book has been nothing but ... Wanting, for lack of a better word.

The Mahabharata is my favorite story of all time. It is every book in one book and to take on the task of retelling the story from the perspective of Draupadi is the literary equivalent of hitting a jackpot of an idea. But. Here comes Ms Bannerjee Divakaruni to ruin that wholly awesome party.

This book is shallow, trite and vapid. The protagonist, otherwise known to be a woman of unequalled passions, valor, and beauty doesn't seem to emotionally age beyond her twenties.

But all these are still subjective plaints. My big bone to pick is the appalling use of language. The author doesn't lack an impressive vocabulary or expression, and so I struggle to understand why this book reads more like a drugstore paperback and less like a retelling of classic literature.

Phraseology is adolescent, and language is simplified to the point where one needs to remind oneself constantly that we are in ancient India. No grandeur. No grand intonations. No class. And no real wit. Even Draupadi's quasi flirtations with Krishna sound like they've been lifted from 90s high school sitcoms. The attempts at humor are putrid and labored. The star-crossed love affair with Karna is frustratingly drawn out with no just cause. Why bother with the angle? It achieves nothing other than a 200-page lament and a rather pathetically orated outburst towards the penultimate chapters.

I could go on for a while but it's really venting spleen. In a nutshell, read it if, like me, you are a real Mahabharata-phile but not really otherwise. It's an easy read not because it flows effortlessly but because it's somewhat idiotically written and poses no real challenge to the mind.

I've given it a two. One for effort and one for actually being enough of a story for one to complete it. Though that is hardly the author's medal. e.c.h.a says

Pfuih.....OK...

Buku ini telah memikatku dalam banyak hal:

Pertama, Cover yang menarik. Yup, terkadang mata saya suka sekali dengan keindahan cover suatu buku. Perpaduan warnanya seperti membawa saya ke Istana Khayalan. Cover aselinya juga keren..I Love Green :)

Kedua, tokoh utamanya yaitu Drupadi. Saya suka Drupadi. Saya mengenal sosoknya saat membaca Mahabharata. Yang sedikit diceritakan *plus saya skimming juga* tapi sukses meninggalkan bekas di hati.

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Ketiga, kata pembuka yang dikutip Divakaruni : Siapa saudara perempuanmu? Akulah dia. Siapa ibumu? Akulah dia. Fajar merekah bagimu seperti juga bagiku.

Keempat: Catatan penulis yang mengantarkan saya masuk ke zaman dimana kisah Mahabharata di mulai.

Yup, Divakaruni sukses menulis kembali kisah agung Mahabharata dengan menggunakan sudut pandang Drupadi. Drupadi, Putri Raja Drupada yang kelahirannya dari dalam api, dimana kelahirannya akan merubah sejarah.

Membaca buku ini seakan-akan mendengar kisah Mahabharata dari mulut Drupadi sendiri, mengulik bagian- bagian yang mungkin tidak tersentuh oleh Byasa dalam Kitab Mahabharatanya. Emosi Drupadi yang dilibatkan dalam setiap penuturan. Bagaimana perasaannya saat kelahirannya yang telah membuat dia mengemban karma. Hubungan dengan ayah dan kakak tersayangnya. Penikahannya dengan Arjuna serta dengan ke-empat Pandawa. Hasrat cinta terpendamnya.Hubunngan dengan perempuan-perempuan penting dalam kehidupan Pandawa. Kedekatannya dengan Krishna dan yang terpenting perasaannya saat menyaksikan perang yang melibatkan semua orang yang Ia kasihi di Kurukshetra.

Sangat mengasyikan memandang Pandawa dari pikiran Drupadi, mereka terlihat manusiawi di mata saya. Bukan hanya tokoh Pandawa saja tapi semuanya, terlihat manusiawi. Apakah karena emosi yang sejak awal sudah ditanamkan Divakaruni melalui Drupadi? Sehingga saya ikut merasakan apa yang dirasakan dari setiap tokoh yang ada dalam kisah ini. Dan, akhirnya saya bisa memandang semua tokoh dari sisi yang berbeda. Bukan melihat siapa yang jahat ataupun siapa yang baik. Tapi lebih karena karma & takdir yang melingkari semua. Karma, what you get is what you give

Dan, akan selalu ada Krishna dalam setiap kehidupan kita :-)

NB: Kalau yang penasaran dengan kisah Mahabharata tapi berat untuk membacanya. Pilih buku ini dan kau akan tahu semua cerita dalam Mahabharata.

Swetha says

My memory often tends to fail me when it concerns my childhood but I distinctly remember illustrated Indian books, a splurge of my parents hoping it would instill many virtues, sprawled on my bed waiting to be read. With time, I started to develop an interest on my own towards works like the Panchatantra, Jataka Tales, Amar Chitra Katha, i.e., just about anything that had conversing animals or a touch of mythology in it. These books are unique in the fact that at the end of the story, they have some moral to teach you. Ramayana, the virtuous ithihasa, can be revered from beginning to end. Mahabharata, however, is a book that can be torn apart and tailor-made in any way to suit what is being taught. For example, a mother who wants her son to eat the weirdly tasting concoction she made might talk about Bhima who loved food and whose vigor made him win many battles. Anyone can talk about the sacrifices made by Karna. A lot of character spinoffs have been already made and they have flourished in the market. The tale of Draupadi, sadly enough, is shushed except for the disrobing scene. Why should anyone be remembered by the incident that shamed them? I read this book merely because I wanted to know if the author would break such common notions and I commend the author for choosing Draupadi as her first person narrative. Before I

PDF File: The Palace of Illusions... 8 Read and Download Ebook The Palace of Illusions... discuss my thoughts on the book, I must warn that I was highly captious in reading the book in the sense that I didn’t want any major deviation from the original story. I think I am going to resort to calling this book with a more currently relevant term and that is fan fiction. It did not feel like a retelling and though I knew how the story would progress, I was keenly waiting for the revelation from the side of Draupadi. There were majorly 3 elements that were different and I will write about them.

Karna and Draupadi: Let’s face it. Karna has a huge fan following. He has even been termed as the best son of Kunti. We pity him for the wrongness that formed a part his life. We love him for the right way in which he lived. People have been commenting on how this portion of the book was not necessary and I agree with them but only to the extent that it needn’t have filled so many pages of Draupadi pining for Karna. However, I would also like to remind people that Draupadi was an unsatisfied lover who desired a husband with all qualities in her previous life according to Mahabharata. So, I don’t see why it is considered completely off the tangent.

Dhrishtadyumna: To be honest, I never cared much for this character. I have often forgotten both his name and his purpose. I loved that the author gave importance to a character that is not widely talked about. The sibling love between Draupadi and ‘Dhri’ is quite enjoyable.

Kunti as the evil mother-in-law: Getting used to this theme was a bit problematic was me because I have always held Kunti in high regard. She was a self-reliant woman who was solely responsible for the upbringing of her sons and suddenly picturing her as the mother-in-law who troubles Draupadi with her petty complaints made me dislike the book in the beginning. I even considered to stop reading the book after this:

“We two old women,” she said, smiling from beneath that ambiguous blindfold, “have much to talk about that you youngsters wouldn't understand.” I hadn't thought Kunti would agree—Gandhari's sons had, after all, tried to kill hers. But she accepted with alacrity. Perhaps the two dowagers relished this chance to complain to each other about their daughters-in-law!

Do not play with Gandhari and Kunti even to bring in a touch of humor! Even though the characters of Draupadi and Kunti develop towards the end, it stands to be one of the reasons for the paucity of my rating.

I had a bit of trouble with the characterization of Draupadi because it didn’t develop for the first 250 pages or so. The narrative made Draupadi sound like an egocentric person that never grew up mentally. It could have been improvised especially considering the potential of the plot is all I am saying. The writing is okay but a bit irritable with its foreshadowing. Feminism is subtle and rightly invoked. After all, who better to talk about the rights of women than Draupadi?

’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 honor, of loyalty toward each other, of reputation were more important to them than my suffering. They would avenge me later, yes, but only when they felt the circumstances would bring them heroic fame. A woman doesn't think that way. I would have thrown myself forward to save them if it had been in my power that day. I wouldn't have cared what anyone thought. The choice they made in the moment of my need changed something in our relationship. I no longer depended on them so completely in the future. And when I took care to guard myself from hurt, it was as much from them as from our enemies.’

I would not suggest this book to someone who hasn’t read the Mahabharata yet because there are some deviations from what is considered original. For those who don’t mind reading it again but with a different perspective, this could be great if only you ignore the dreariness of the book in the middle.

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Rebecca says

A fantastic read. Except for that twist in Draupadi's love life it would have been perfect. The stories of Mahabharatha were a part of my growing up. But i had never paused to think about what the people involved really felt and thought. So it was a surprise to read about Draupadi's feelings in her own words. What did a woman who was born from fire think about herself. ? What did she feel when she knew that she would have to marry five men ? Thete were times when I found my heart racing like when I read the famous Vastrakshepam scene. All the characters have been shown in shades of grey true to the original Mahabharatha. My favourites were not the Pandus but Krishna and Bheeshma. Loved the narration. Will be sure to read more of Devakaruni.

Thesunan says buku pinjaman dari tante Mumut.. :)

PROLOG (boleh dilewat soalnya rada2 OOT :D) ------Pertama kali saya tahu ada cerita tentang Mahabrata adalah waktu saya SD, film Mahabrata pada waktu itu ditayangkan oleh salah satu stasiun televise swasta, yang memang dulu sempat mendapat julukan sebagai Televisi Pilem India, soalnya stasiun televisi tersebut sering menayangkan film India. Namun saya sendiri kurang tahu tentang sejarah cerita tersebut, hanya beberapa tokoh saja yang ada di ingatan saya, terutama para Pandawa yang sering menjadi perumpamaan untuk menggambarkan orang yang memiliki sifat-sifat atau ciri-ciri seperti para Pandawa.

Yudhistira, adalah Tokoh Pandawa yang menggambarkan seorang pemimpin yang sangat jujur, yang (hampir) tidak pernah berbohong (walaupun pernah berbohong 1 kali tapi sebenarnya tidak berbohong). Tidak mendapat memiliki hasrat keduniawian, ketika mendapat titah menjadi raja, maka dia hanya menjalankan saja kewajibannya. Sungguh lah pemimpin yg sangat ideal Yudhistira ini. Seorang pemimpin yang dirindukan, andai saja di Indonesia ada seorang pemimpin yang seperti dia. Maka tak heran jika istilah atau menyamakan seseorang dengan Yudhistira belum pernah saya dengar sebelumnya.

Bima, nama yang sangat tidak asing, sering digunakan untuk menggambarkan karakter seseorang yang kuat, tegas, dan galak ketika berhadapan dengan ketidakadilan, bahkan salah satu anggota tubuh Bima menjadi ikon minuman suplemen buat laki2, iya benar kukunya.. bayangkan kuku miliknya Bima saja sangat kuat, apalagi bagian yang lainnya.. :)

Tokoh Pandawa yang lain adalah tokoh yang digilai oleh banyak perempuan, tokoh yang sering jadi sebutan buat orang yang memiliki paras rupawan dan tukang kimpoi.. hehhe. Dialah Arjuna, seorang yang suka puasa, dan berkelana, mempunyai wajah yang bercahaya, cahaya yang terpancar dari wajahnya inilah yang membuat lawan jenis maupun sejenis klepek-klepek.

Dua tokoh Pandawa yang terakhir adalah saudara kembar Nakula-Sadewa, yang saya tahu dijadikan nama sebuah yayasan yang menaungi para anak kembar, dibawah asuhan kak Seto.

Tokoh2 itulah yang saya ingat dari cerita Mahabrata, walaupun saya adalah penggemar wayang golek. Mungkin karena yang jadi pusat perhatian saya bukanlah tokoh utama dalam cerita Mahabrata ataupun Ramayana, melainkan tokoh2 (mungkin) fiksi, yaitu para Punakawan.

[image error] Semar, nama lengkapnya Semar Badrayana. Semar Badranaya mengandung makna, di dalam

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[image error] Cepot atau Astrajinga anak tertua dari Semar, memiliki sifat yang humoris, tokoh ini biasanya dikeluarkan oleh dalang di tengah kisah untuk menyampaikan pesan bebas, biasanya nasihat atau sindiran- sindiran tentang keadaan yang ada di masyarakat.

[image error] Punakawan yang berhidung mancung ini adalah Dawala, biasanya muncul bersamaan dengan Cepot. Dia mempunyai sifat sabar setia dan penurut namun kurang begitu cerdas dan kurang terampil.

[image error] inilah anak bungsu dari Semar, yaitu Gareng, sama seperti halnya Cepot atau Dawala, gareng biasanya dikeluarkan sebagai hiburan.

Menonton pertunjukkan wayang golek adalah suatu keharusan di keluarga saya, minimal seminggu sekali, sewaktu almarhum bokap masih ada, kita suka nonton bareng apabila ada pertunjukkan wayang golek di hajatan tetangga atau acara di alun2 Kelurahan. Kebiasaan itu berlanjut sampai saya kuliah, kebetulan waktu saya kuliah salah satu stasiun televisi swasta yg sekarang terkenal karena menampilkan acara jodoh2an, menayangkan acara wayang golek tiap malam minggu. Berhubung saya seorang ‘anak rumahan’ yang gak pernah maen malem, di saat temen2 lagi asik kongkow, nongkrong, clubbing saya malah diem di kosan nonton wayang golek.. :)

Namun sayang sekali acara wayang golek di tv sekarang sudah menghilang, entah apa sebabnya, mungkin karena pertunjukkan wayang golek membutuhkan banyak biaya dan ratingnya gak begitu tinggi. Bayangkan saja berapa banyak dana yg mesti dikeluarkan untuk pertunjukkan wayang golek, ada dalang, sinden, dan belasan nayaga, kru di belakang panggung, dan belum lagi biaya buat puluhan golek, nah kan golek itu sendiri butuh “makan” hehehehe..

Padahal belum pernah ada pertunjukan wayang golek sampai di stop oleh aparat setempat, karena menimbulkan kerusuhan bahkan sampai ada keributan yang fatal. Jadi hiburan wayang golek benar-benar aman! Tercatat banyak sekali dalang wayang golek, beberapa diantaranya adalah H Ade Kosasih Sunarya, Asep Sunandar Sunarya, Tarkim, R.U. Partasuanda, Abeng Sunarya, Entah Tirayana, Apek, Dede Amung. Yang sering mengadakan pertunjukkan di daerah saya adalah Dede Amung dan Asep Sunandar Sunarya dari Giri Harja 3.

------Nampaknya cukup ngelanturnya… :D "Cinta datang seperti halilintar, dan hilangnya pun demikian. Kalau kau beruntung, cinta yang tepat akan menemukanmu, kalau tidak, kau akan menghabiskan seumur hidupmu merindukan laki-laki yang tidak bisa kau miliki."

Buku ini mengingatkan saya tentang cerita Mahabrata, cerita tentang perang Bharatayudha yang melegenda, Buku ini ditulis dari sudut pandang Drupadi atau Pancali titisan dari dewa Agni. Seorang wanita yang akan mengubah jalannya sejarah.

Drupadi yang menikah bukan dengan orang yang dicintainya, walaupun dia dengan terpaksa menikah dengan kelima Pandawa bersaudara, ternyata lima orang tidak bisa menutupi kekosongan hatinya yang mendambakan seseorang yang berada di kasta di bawahnya, seorang anak laki-laki dari seorang kusir kereta.

Memang begitulah hidup apa yang kita inginkan gak selalu kita dapatkan, begitu pun Drupadi menjalani hidupnya hanya sekedar menjalani takdir yg sudah tertulis oleh yang maha kuasa, dan bahkan sudah bisa dituliskan Byasa sang peramal di dalam kitabnya. but sometimes, even if u know how something's going to

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Selain pernikahannya yang sudah diramalkan oleh Byasa, Byasa juga meramalkan bahwa Drupadi adalah orang yang akan menyebabkan perang terbesar pada masanya. Byasa juga menyiapkan Drupadi untuk menjalani takdirnya, dengan memberikan latihan2 dari mulai latihan hidup sederhana seperti memakai pakaian murah, makan seadanya sampai tips dan trik di tempat tidur. Byasa juga mengajari aji-aji yang membuat Drupadi akan menjadi perawan lagi setiap kali bersama Pandawa bersaudara.

Takdir yang tidak bisa dilawan dan tidak bisa diperdaya, watak dari Drupadi malah mempercepat prosesnya. Kesombongan, pemarah dan pendendam, apalagi waktu dia dipermalukan oleh Duryodana, di depan banyak orang dia ditelanjangi. Karena kejadian itu keluarlah kutukan dari mulut Drupadi “aku tidak akan menyisirnya, sampai saatnya aku membasuhnya dalam darah Korawa.” Sebuah sumpah dan kutukan yang menyebabkan perang besar dalam sejarah.

Dalam perjalanan hidup menjalani takdir yg sudah dituliskan, Drupadi mengalami berbagai macam gelombang kehidupan. Hidupnya tidak pernah puas, kerinduan terhadap sang anak kusir kereta begitu menggebu2, selalu orang itu yang terlintas dalam pikirannya. Bahkan sampai akhir hidupnya

"kau lupakan saja tentang cinta, Putri. kenikmatan lebih sederhana, dan kewajiban lebih penting. Belajarlah untuk puas dengan itu.".

-----IT Imam Thesunan yg merindukan momen2 bersama sang Ayah waktu nonton wayang golek bareng----

Mia Prasetya says

Bisa dibilang saya merasa beruntung bisa membaca buku seindah ini. Terlebih lagi sedari SD ayah saya yang juga pecinta buku rutin menghadiahi saya buku Mahabrata karangan R.A Kosasih. Kaget juga karena di usia saya yang sekarang, kurang lebih 20 tahun lewat sejak pertama kali mengenal tokoh Pandawa lima, ternyata saya masih mengingat garis besar kisah Mahabrata ini

Istana khayalan benar-benar membuat saya berkhayal jauh, seakan-akan saya ikut berada dalam Hastinapura, ikut bersimpati dengan Dropadi dan tanpa saya sadari, ketawa sendiri mendengar celetukan Dropadi yang ngasal juga.

Pada awal buku, Divakaruni mengajak kita berkenalan langsung dengan tokoh utama, Dropadi. Kisah kelahirannya yang fenomenal, kondisi ayahnya yang terbakar api dendam, kakaknya yang sangat mencintainya dan teman sehati Dropadi, Krishna yang bijaksana. Siapapun akan mudah jatuh hati dengan sosok Dropadi, perempuan yang cerdas, blak-blakan, haus akan ilmu, tidak menyukai pertempuran bahkan ia bertekad merubah pola pikir sang ayah dan kakak tercinta (sangat berbeda dengan apa yang terjadi di kemudian hari). Sejak masa mudanya Dropadi menyadari ia bukan seperti perempan kebanyakan, ia tidak menikmati pelajaran khas wanita, dan takdir memang membawanya jauh dari perempuan kebanyakan.

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Suatu ketika, Dropadi menanyakan nasibnya kepada pertapa, “Kau akan mengawini lima pahlawan terbesar pada masamu. Kau akan menjadi ratu segala ratu, dicemburui segala dewi. Kau akan menjadi pelayan, kau akan menjadi penguasa yang paling hebat lalu kehilangan itu. Kau akan diingat karena menyebabkan perang terbesar pada masamu. Kau akan dicintai, meskipun kau tak selalu tahu siapa yang mencintaimu” Ramalan itu kembali diucapkan Srikandi, dan Dropadi mulai menunggu, takdir apakah yang menantinya di depan sana?

Betapa takdir mempermainkan nasib seorang wanita, Dropadi yang jatuh cinta pada pandangan pertama dengan Karna, seorang anak kusir kerajaan yang pada akhirnya juga mencintainya yang ironis baru diketahui sesaat sebelum Karna meninggal. Perkawinannya dengan Arjuna, pandawa yang berhasil memenangkan sayembara menjadi suaminya, namun sesuai dengan titah sang ibunda pandawa apa yang menjadi milik seseorang harus menjadi milik bersama. Dropadi menjadi istri dari kelima Pandawa. Ia memiliki istana yang sangat indah, namun sebagaimana yang ditulis di ramalan pertapa bijak, ia akan kehilangan semuanya itu.

Bagian tengah buku, Dropadi yang kita kenal dulu sudah berubah. “Dia sudah mati. Separuh dirinya mati saat semua yang dicintai dan dia harapkan menyelamatkan hanya duduk tanpa protes dan menontonnya dipermalukan. Separuh dirinya yang lain musnah bersama rumahnya tercinta. Tetapi jangan takut, perempuan yang menggantikan tempatnya akan mengukir jejak yang lebih kuat ke dalam sejarah daripada yang dulu dibayangkan gadis naïf itu” h.289

Dipermalukan, kehilangan, dendam, kesombongan menghancurkan Dropadi dan ia bertekad tidak akan menyisir rambutnya sampai ia keramas dengan darah Kurawa. Betapa besar arti kebencian dalam diri seseorang, sampai pada akhirnya kebencian pun membakar hatimu sendiri, kau tak akan menyadarinya sampai semua yang kaucintai hancur, luluh lantak tak bersisa.

Kayaknya saya bisa jadi penerusnya Echa nih, ayo semua teman-teman yang belum baca buku ini, baca deh. Banyak pelajaran yang didapat dari buku ini, salah satunya jangan meremehkan wanita ;D Oia, agak beda dari buku komiknya dulu yang membuat saya kesengsem dengan Yudhistira, nah di sini Yudhistiranya agak oon sedikit, amat tidak pas dengan karakter Dropadi yang meledak-ledak. Hanya Bima yang bisa mengimbanginya, siapa sangka pendekar yang keker sumeker bisa bertekuk lutut di kaki Dropadi, Bima bersedia membantu Dropadi di dapur, bahkan rela membunuh demi Dropadi. Salah satu kalimat Bima yang saat ini saya jadikan status di fesbuk, “Tanpa kau di sisiku, untuk apa ada kerajaan?” Huwaah manis sekali, siapa yang sangka kalimat seromantis ini datang dari Bima? Kalau Arjuna sih tidak banyak diceritakan di sini, terlebih lagi Nakula dan Sadewa.

Semua teramu lengkap di buku ini, perang dahsyat, ramalan, dewa dewi yang ga kalah keren dengan dewa dewi Olympus, kisah cinta fenomenal, cinta sejati Dropadi – Karna walau tidak pernah sekalipun mereka berkumpul tapi kita berasa ikut merasakan kesungguhan cinta mereka, ada di sini. Yak, kayaknya musti buat rak baru nih, buku-yang-saat-kelar-dibacanya-bikin-bilang-aaaaaaahhhh-indah-sekaliiii. Tapi kepanjangan keknya, hhhmmm, pokoknya baca aja deeeh, kalau mau saya bersedia meminjamkan buku ini.

Sanjay says

A retelling of the Mahabharata from Draupadi's point of view sounds like it has much potential -- but this

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Aditi says

“A woman is not a touch but a response to it”

----Pratibha Ray

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, an Indian best selling novelist, has penned an extremely emotional and gripping mythological-cum-historical-fiction novel, The Palace of Illusions that narrates the great epic Indian mythological tale, Mahabharata from the point of view of the most brilliant and fearless female character, Draupadi, who weaves her thoroughly soul touching yet enduring life story starting from the day she was born to the day she left her palace and kingdom to follow behind the footsteps of her husbands to heaven. Yes, in modern terms, you call it a fan fiction of Mahabharata.

Synopsis:

A reimagining of the world-famous Indian epic, the Mahabharat—told from the point of view of an amazing woman.

Panchaali, daughter of king Draupad, was born out of fire, when her father prayed and fasted for a son who will take vengeance on his enemies. So apart from Panchaali, a dark beauty and highly intelligent and smart young girl, Dhrishtadyumna, a fierce young boy was also born out of the very same fire. While growing up, Draupadi confided in only three people who were closest to her heart, her caretaker, Dhai Ma, her brother, Dhri, and her only friend, Krishna, who guided her through all her troubles with his wise and thoughtful advice. But when the time arrived for Swayamvar, Draupadi's heart has already found the man of her life, but due to her father and Krishna's strategy and scheme to protect the king and the kingdom from his enemies, thereby yet once again Draupadi followed what others wanted her to follow before her heart's desire. Once landing into the palace of her husband, Arjun, Draupadi, once again, had to fight for and obey the rules and the opinions of her mother-in-law, Kunti, who asked her to marry off five of her sons, instead of only one. From then on, Draupadi had to lead a sad and enduring life filled with only grief, pain and loss and embarrassment. But not for once Draupadi spoke out aloud of her grief either to her husbands or to her own family, instead she quietly obeyed and payed heavily for everything that her husbands did.

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This is one of the most enthralling and magical re-telling of the epic mythological tale that changed the history, spiritualism, thoughts and beliefs of Indian society. The whole tale felt like an astounding, mystical and breath taking read that blew my mind with the intensity of Draupadi's heart breaking life story as well as with the opportunity to lose myself in the thrill of the greatest mythology, Mahabharata told from the perspective of a brave woman. The author has not only imagined and projected her version of this epic tale, but has also included the wise words of Vyasa, the original author of Mahabharata.

The author's writing style is exquisite and eloquent and has laced the story line with so many deep, heart felt emotions that will move the readers for the characters' plight. The narrative is somewhat intellectual, thoughtful and truly authentic and it is told from the first person point of view of Draupadi, so that will let the readers contemplate with her honest voice. The pacing of the book is very slow and while reading, the readers might feel a bit lethargic due to the usage of heavy words and too many philosophical adverbs by the author.

The characterization of the protagonist, Draupadi, is really well carved out with all her flaws and her stronger aspects, with her desires and her hatred and with her positive and negative thoughts, thereby letting the readers experience and get to know Draupadi in her raw form. Draupadi has been brilliantly portrayed into the story and has been brought alive with so much vigor by the author. The readers will be shocked to go through the intense pain of Draupadi's struggle with her childhood days, her marital life, her role as a pawn in the game of the greatest war in the history of our country, her emotions towards how the brothers fought against his own blood just for the price of kingdom. In short, the rest of the supporting characters, do not much role or depth in them, either way, from Draupadi's minds the readers can chalk out a brief sketch of those characters.

In a nutshell, this is an excellently well written fan fiction based on Hindu mythology that will enlighten the readers' minds and souls as well as keep them entertained all through out the book.

Verdict: A must read for historical fiction readers.

Crystal says

Just a petty complaint: I'm in the middle of this book and have a strong enough sense of the story to be able to make a heart felt plea: enough of the blatant foreshadowing! It's as if the author has no other creative or subtle use of language to hint at things to come. It always involves the last sentence of the chapter, starting with the end of Chapter 1, "I didn't know then how sorely that love would be tested, or how much it would cost both of us", "I didn't know that I'd never see this fragrant flower-laden road - or the palace I so loved - again", "The current of destiny seemed to have flung us ashore and receded. Not knowing that it was gathering in a tidal wave, we chafed in our calmness..." and so it goes over and over again. I know it's a petty complaint for a story that is so grand and epic as a retelling of the Mahabharat. It seems more of a reflection of how the author views her own writing abilities - as if she does not trust her skill at being able to work the story delicately, subtlely, and weave it carefully so there need not be so graphic statements that constantly thread an ominous and foreboding feeling throughout the whole book. It does not allow the reader to let down their guard to get lost in the story, as they are always waiting for the other proverbial shoe to fall.

Other than this issue, I admire the author's ambitions and think she deserves recognition for what she does accomplish with the story. Though her writing and story telling are not as sophisticated as Ki Longfellow or Anita Diamont, she has real potential and I look forward to watching her develop her talent.

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Kogiopsis says

One of my favorite books ever, and I don't say that lightly. Now, if only Mr. Wright had ever given my copy back! (Note: Never loan a book based on the Mahabhrata to your Asian Humanities teacher. You might as well have dropped it into a black hole.)

Anyhow I'm not really sure how to describe why I love this book so. The story is beautiful, that's a large part of it. The characters are strong and well-shaped, that's another part of it. The prose is gorgeous. The setting is truly magical. The tragedy twisted at my heart. I read it once and was impressed; read it again slowly, savoring, and was swept away. Hinduism really has a claim on the whole 'fate and reincarnation' thing that keeps getting tossed around in YA. And while reincarnation isn't a subject of this book, fate is. If you want to read a brilliant, tortured star- crossed romance, this book is for you. If you want a great adventure story, this is a good bet. If you're wondering what this Mahabhrata thing is all about, try this perspective on for size before you go after the far lengthier versions. Because of this book, one of my goals is to get through a 900+ page translation of that great epic, and if I'd never read The Palace Of Illusions, I might never have discovered the Mahabhrata at all.

Thank you, Ms. Divakaruni.

Smitha says

I am so so happy that I could read this book. I enjoyed every page of it. This is the story of Mahabharatha - not the full one, but a few incidents as seen through the eyes of Draupadi - the Pandava wife. This book will be best appreciated only by those who have a knowledge of the Mahabharatha - the vast Indian epic full of intrigue, mysteries, magic, politics, family obligations and the strife for attaining the Kuru throne by two set of cousins - the good Pandavas (5 brothers with one common wife - Draupadi and hoardes of seperate other wives) as opposed to hundred brothers and one sister (the cruel and immoral Kauravas, though the sister is innocent of any crime or intrigue). Lord Krishna too plays a big part in Mahabharatha being the close friend and cousin of the Pandavas. I really loved the story of Mahabharatha via Draupadi (or Panchali) as the medium. I had never liked Draupadi, but this book makes me see her as a flesh and bone woman. I had never given a second thought to Drishtadhyumna, her brother ( both results of a great yaga). I felt great pity for him on hearing his story via Panchali. One intersting thing is in this book Draupadi and Karna (the noble, but mislead illegitimate son of Kunti, the Pandava mother who always considered the Pandavas as his rivals) appear as star crossed lovers. I wonder what would have happened if Draupadi wed Karna instead of Arjuna. Krtishna too is portrayed here as down-to-earth. If I start I will go on and on about this book. So stopping here. Folks who know the rudiments of Mahabharatha story, please do read this book, though this book may offend pious people as it is a bit unconventional, I did immensely enjoy it and am planning to reread it sometime in future - a bit slowly than my first time, giving time to ruminate on sentences.

Chetana Thakur Chakraborty says

'The Palace of Illusions' by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is really a book worth reading! I think its a must read for people who have an interest in the rich literary heritage of India. The author has beautifully summed up longest epic (Mahabharata) in around 360 pages. The story is narrated from the view point of a very

PDF File: The Palace of Illusions... 16 Read and Download Ebook The Palace of Illusions... important female character in Mahabharata, Panchali. This, I felt, is very unique. This book has added a very interesting touch to the epic. The book begins with 'fire' and ends with 'fire'. It truly rekindles a 'fire' that is, of satisfaction in our hearts after completing this amazing novel. Besides, the cover of the book is so awesome and attractive. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book.

Charu says

The book at its centre is Draupadi's version of Mahabharat. When I picked this book, I wasn’t too sure, if would relish a book on – battles, power-play, politics, adrenaline-filled glory and carnage. But the authoress had done a tremendous job of capturing the essence of the epic in the form of a story. The authoress had bereft the characters of divine, virtuous status and made them very real and human, which makes it very easy to follow, despite the complexities in the leading characters.

Talking about the protagonist, Panchali, I don’t even know where to start with her character. As the story begins I saw her so much like any mortal being, flawed by vices in the most realistic ways – self-centered, temperamental, displaying regular acts of snarling, her insatiable yearnings, the hidden desire for Karana, being the cause of one of the most disastrous battles in the history. But as the epic (read book) progressed, she showed her other side of being wise, passionate, head-strong and heroic. I recognized how difficult and excruciatingly life treated her. Her oppressed childhood, forced polygamy and everything she has had to endure tore my heart to pieces. I wish I could give her a hug, if she was alive.

Sometimes (all of the time when I develop interest in the book), I tend to get very attached to certain characters and can barely think about anything else for days. It happened with the character of “Karana”. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so invested in a character. With so much depth and so much soul, he has easily become one of my favorite characters of all time. My ultimate hope is that readers of this book, regardless of age or gender, will be inspired by Karan’s and will be encouraged to make unselfish sacrificial choices and lay down one’s life for others, in big and small ways.

With so much soul and emotion, everything crafted together, it is near impossible to read this book without being affected momentously.

Lubinka Dimitrova says

Beautifully written and captivating... And the stories... Ah, the stories... They reminded me of the reason I've always loved indian mythology. This was a really satisfying book.

Richard Derus says

This review has been revised and can now be found at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud!

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

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License.

Mery says

Aku selalu suka sama kisah yang mengangkat sudut pandang berbeda dari seorang perempuan. Dan Drupadi ini dengan sukses telah menghipnotisku dengan kehidupannya yang penuh liku-liku...

Drupadi adalah titisan Dewi Agni, yang diramalkan akan mengubah sejarah... Pada bab-bab awal Putri drupadi diramalkan bahwa dia akan menikah dengan lima pahlawan besar pada zamannya, akan menjadi ratu dari segala ratu, dicemburui para dewi. Akan menyebabkan perang terbesar, kematian kakak dan anak-anaknya, akan menyebabkan sejuta perempuan menjanda. Dan ramalan tersebut menjadi kenyataan.

Dia dilahirkan dari api bersama kembarannya Drestadumnya, demi membalaskan dendam sang Ayah yang bersitegang dengan sahabat lamanya Drona. Pembalasan dendam inilah yang menjadi akar bagaimana kesengsaraan dimulai.

Atas nama kehormatan, para pria tak bisa mundur dari sumpah yang telah diucapkan mereka. Atas nama kehormatan, para pria lebih rela bertarung habis-habisan dan merenggut nyawa yang pernah mereka kasihi. Atas nama kehormatan seorang ibu membuang bayi pertamanya ke sungai Gangga. Atas nama kehormatan Amba kembali pada Bisma, dan mengucap sumpah dendam. Atas nama kehormatan pula Drupadi terikat sumpah yang akan membawanya pada sebuah perang besar.

Kenapa aku suka sama buku Palace of Illusions ini? :D Karena pengarangnya tidak memihak pada satu tokoh pun. Bahkan tidak pada Drupadi sendiri.

Tidak ada yang patut disalahkan dalam perang tersebut. Tidak drupadi, tidak drona, tidak duryodana, tidak yudisthira... Karena itu sudah menjadi suratan takdir. manusia hanyalah bidak waktu... bidak yang mempunyai peran penting saat waktu terus bergulir... seperti yang dituliskan pada halaman 68 Takdir itu kuat dan cepat. Kau tidak bisa memperdayanya dengan mudah. Meskipun kau tidak mencarinya hari ini, pada waktunya takdir yang akan menemukanmu.

Favoritku tetap Bima.. :D Gak peduli badannya keker kek, serem kek, pokoknya suka...Cintanya ke drupadi tuh bikin klepek-klepek...

Sudaaah gak bisa berkata-kata... hanya satu yang kupelajari...

Dalam perang yang dibutuhkan sebagai senjata pamungkasnya adalah kebencian... bukan kasih sayang...

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