137 - Discussing 'Mahabharata Unravelled' | Ami Ganatra | Akshaya Sivaraman | Bharatvaarta | Culture

Millennia have passed since the dharma yudhha of the cousins shook the  land of Bharata. But this history of our ancestors continues to  fascinate us. Even today, we have passionate discussions about the  people and their actions in the epic, fervidly defending our favourites  and denouncing others. The number of works on the  Mahabharata-adaptations, retellings and fiction-that still get written  is a testimony to its enduring relevance.  While the general storyline is largely known, a lot of questions and  myths prevail, such as-What was the geographical extent of the war? Did  Drona actually refuse to take on Karna as his disciple? What were  Draupadi's responsibilities as the queen of Indraprastha? Did she ever  mock Duryodhana? Were the women in the time of the Mahabharata meek and  submissive? What were the names of the war formations during the time?  What role did the sons of the Pandavas play? Does the south of India  feature at all in the Mahabharata? What happened after the war? These  and many other intriguing questions continue to mystify the contemporary  reader.  Author Ami Ganatra debunks myths, quashes popular notions and offers  insights into such aspects not commonly known or erroneously known,  based solely on facts as narrated in Vyasa's Mahabharata from generally  accepted authentic sources. For a history of such prominence and  influence as the Mahabharata, it is important to get the story right. So  pick this book up, sit back and unveil the lesser-known facts and  truths about the great epic.