Pratibha Ray – författare

The undoubted heroine of the Mahabharata, one of the honoured 'pancha sati', one of the five most virtuous women in Hindu mythology, Draupadi is still seen by many as the woman responsible for the greatest war of all time.In this historical novel, Pratibha Ray makes an admirable attempt to present a balanced portrait of Draupadi and in doing so, skilfully brings to the forefront the deeper aspects of the character and mind of the remarkable Pandava Queen.

Originally written in Odia, the novel depicts not just people’s enthusiasm and sacrifices during the freedom struggle but also their disillusionment with a freedom that failed to fulfill their cherished dreams of equality and prosperity in postcolonial India. The protagonist, Diganta Keshari, leaves home and joins the freedom struggle, hoping to see the country become the ideal kingdom—Ram Rajya. But when he returns to his village after twenty years of Independence, he encounters a new form of oppression and evil perpetrated by people they considered their own.