Draupadi is a character from the Mahabharata, a long Indian poem from ancient times. Some Hindus worship Draupadi as a goddess.
In the Mahabharata, Draupadi is the daughter of King Drupada of Panchala, an ancient kingdom in northern India . She is born from a sacrificial fire during a ritual performed by her father. Draupadi grows up to be beautiful, intelligent, and virtuous.
Prince Arjuna , one of five brothers known as the Pandavas, wins Draupadi as his bride in an archery contest sponsored by her father. Arjuna returns home and tries to show his mother his prize. However, she is busy, and before seeing Draupadi, she tells Arjuna to share his prize with his brothers. Having vowed to obey his mother, Arjuna must let his brothers marry Draupadi, too. Draupadi has five sons—one with each of the Pandava brothers.
In the course of the Mahabharata, Yudhishthira, the eldest brother, plays a game of dice with the Kauravas, close relatives and bitter rivals of the Pandavas. Yudhishthira bets and loses his wealth, his land, his brothers, and himself in the game. Finally, he wagers Draupadi and loses her as well. The Kauravas then try to undress Draupadi to shame the Pandavas. However, the god Krishna makes Draupadi’s sari endless, and she remains clothed. A sari is a long cloth draped around the body as a dress. Fearing Draupadi’s revenge, the leader of the Kauravas offers her three favors. She asks for her husbands’ freedom and the return of their wealth. Not wanting to be greedy, she refuses the third favor.
Today, Hindus honor Draupadi for her piety, purity, and devotion, especially to Krishna. The Hindus who regard her as a goddess worship her in village temples. Some rituals honoring Draupadi involve walking on fire or hot coals.
