Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's ‘The Palace of Illusions’ is a vivid representation of the world-famous epic Mahabharata narrated from the viewpoint of princess Panchali.

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The metaphoric representation of a pink lotus in the illustration symbolises ‘divine feminine energy’ introducing the protagonist of the Book ‘Princess Panchali’. The colours, floral patterns and the dice patterns on the palace are inspired by the different stages of her life and the life changing event ‘The Game of dice’.  The portrayal of the palace in a night setting is to set a mysterious tone for the audience and make them curious about the novel. 

 

The symbolic pink lotus in the illustration represents "divine feminine energy" as it introduces the book's protagonist, Princess Panchali. The different phases of her life and the iconic event of "The Game of dice" inspired the colour, floral patterns, and dice patterns on the palace. The portrayal of the palace at night is intended to create a mysterious tone for the audience.