Abstract: GirishKarnad’sNagamandala reimagines Indian folk tradition to articulate the suppressed emotional and psychological world of women living within patriarchal marriage. The play foregrounds the silent suffering of the female protagonist, Rani, whose identity is shaped and constrained by male authority, social norms, and moral double standards. Through the symbolic intervention of the mythical Naga, Karnad enables the emergence of a feminine voice that challenges patriarchal definitions of fidelity, virtue, and obedience. This paper examines how Nagamandala critiques patriarchal power structures by legitimizing female desire, emotional truth, and narrative agency. Using a feminist and textual approach, the study explores the transformation of silence into articulation, the role of myth in resisting gender oppression, and the negotiation of female autonomy within traditional frameworks. The analysis demonstrates that Nagamandala offers a nuanced feminist vision that questions patriarchy without rejecting cultural continuity.

Keywords: Feminine Voice, Patriarchy, GirishKarnad, Nagamandala, Gender Politics, Indian Drama, Feminism.