Indian Knowledge Systems and Indigenous Epistemologies in the Diasporic Fiction of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

This research article investigates the integration of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) and indigenous epistemologies within the language, narrative structures, and thematic frameworks of the celebrated Indian-American author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. While contemporary scholarship predominantly examines her work through the lenses of gender, migration, and postcolonial identity, this study argues that her narratives are fundamentally anchored in traditional Indian epistemologies, including Dharma, Samskara, oral traditions, and mythic consciousness. By analyzing major works such as The Mistress of Spices, Sister of My Heart, The Palace of Illusions, and Arranged Marriage, the article demonstrates how Divakaruni employs these ancient frameworks to articulate a unique diasporic subjectivity. The research concludes that IKS provides a resilient, adaptive, and alternative model to Western narrative paradigms, allowing characters to sustain cultural continuity across geographical boundaries.