Pranab Mukherjee releases book on Draupadi by Veerappa Moily

Noting that he has known Moily for five decades and still “he continues to surprise me”, Mukherjee said that the former law minister is a “prolific writer” who has written extensively on women characters of Indian mythology.

NITI Aayog member Bibek Debroy, who was present on the occasion, termed it a remarkable book that offers new insights into the Draupadi’s life. Former PM Manmohan Singh was also present on the occasion.

Moily said “this was an autobiography of Draupadi through my eyes”, adding that she was “a very strong character”.

The book traces the life and journey of Draupadi from her birth to her marriage with the Pandavas, “the eventual loss of her fortune and honour to the Kauravas in a gamble”, and finally the war of Mahabharata. The title of the book is derived from the incident in Mahabharata when “she vowed to never tie her hair till the day the Pandavas avenged the humiliation she had been subjected to by the Kauravas”. The entire book is in verse form.

Moily is best known for his Shree Ramayana Mahanveshanam, which received the Moortidevi Award of the Bharatiya Jnanpith.