Portrayal of Myths in the Writings of Chitra Divakaruni

Abstract

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is a celebrated diasporic writer of India-American fiction. She frequently incorporates Indian myths and folklore in her writings. Her myths in novels are not static retellings but dynamic reimagining which serve many purposes. It preserves cultural background, challenges patriarchal traditions, and provides new meanings in diasporic contexts. This paper explores her selected works such as Arranged Marriage (1995), The Mistress of Spices (1997), The Palace of Illusions (2008), and The Forest of Enchantments (2019), for the research. Divakaruni adopted a different reinterpretation of epics like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, through feministic point of view. Divakaruni through her subtle infusion of Indian-mythological elements into immigrant narratives, establishes myths as effective tools for empowerment and cultural negotiation in the alien land. This study advocates that her fictions demonstrate how myths transcend temporal and spatial boundaries, when reinterpreted to remain relevant in the present diasporic literature.