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 Gandhari was the daughter of Subala, the king of Gandhara. Her name has been derived from here and she is one of the important characters of the great Indian epic Mahabharata. Gandhari was married to Dhritarashtra, the eldest prince of the Kuru kingdom.
As Dhritarashtra was blind, Gandhari blindfolded herself throughout her married life and did not wish to relish the pleasure of sight, which her husband could never realize. She was the mother of hundred sons known as the Kauravas and the mother of a daughter Dlushala, the wife of Jayadratha.
The Kaurava, predominantly Duryodhana and Dushasana were the villains who were killed at the battle of Kurukshetra in the hands of their cousin brothers the Pandavas. In spite of Duryodhana and Dushasana's immoral behavior with the Pandavas, Gandhari always told them to follow 'dharma' and make peace with the Pandavas. She was very close to Kunti who treated her as an elder sister.
Gandhari only opened her eyes to see Duryodhana exposing his entire body except his loins invincible to any enemy. Other than this, she was an ardent lover and worshipper of Lord Shiva. When she lost all her hundred sons, she cursed Krishna in effect ensuring the destruction of the Yadavas. Gandhari died in the forest-fire of the Himalayas along with her husband and sister-in-law Kunti.
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Recently Updated Articles in Indian Purans
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| • | Draupadi
Draupadi, the daughter of King Drupada who ruled over Panchal, was the wife of all the five Pandavas. Draupadi was given the status of a goddess in south India.
| | | • | Kaushalya
In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Kaushalya was the first queen of King Dasaratha, King of Ayodhya and the mother of Lord Rama. Kaushalya`s significance stems not only from her esteemed position as a queen mother but also from her impeccable character and unwavering devotion.
| | | • | Dhritarashtra
Dhritarashtra, a prominent character in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, was the king of the Kuru Kingdom and the father of the Kauravas. Born to Queen Ambika and King Vichitravirya, he faced the challenge of blindness from birth but rose to become a respected ruler of Hastinapura. With the support of his devoted wife Gandhari, he fathered one hundred sons, including the eldest Duryodhana, and one daughter.
| | | • | Folktales Of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh Folktale, The Unwanted Guest, narrates the story of a wise woman, Buddhimati.
| | | • | Kathasaritsagara
Kathasaritsagara is the collection of fables in India by Somadeva.
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