Gandhari (, ) plays a prominent role in the Hindu epic the Mahabharata. She was a princess of Gandhara and the wife of Dhritrashtra, the blind king of Hastinapura, and the mother of a hundred sons, the Kauravas, and a daughter. She is usually depicted with a blindfold, which she wore in order to live like her husband. She is also the sister in law of former king Pandu and his wife queen Kunti. Early life and marriage Gandhari was born to Subala, the ruler of Gandhara. As a maiden, Gandhari was noted for her piety and virtuous nature. Gandhari is regarded as an incarnation of the goddess Mati. She was the sister of Shakuni. During her maiden days, she is said to have impressed Lord Shiva through penance and received a boon to bear 100 children. However, the reason for her penance and her receiving such boon is unknown. In alternative versions, she is said to have impressed Veda Vyasa with her gracious and generous nature. One of the main reasons of Bhishma choosing Gandhari to be the elder daughter-in-law of the Kuru kingdom is said to be this boon, which would put an end to his worry of the throne remaining vacant. Gandhari's marriage was arranged with Dhritarashtra, the eldest prince of the Kuru kingdom. The Mahabharata depicted her as a beautiful and virtuous woman as well as a very dedicated wife. Their marriage was arranged by Bhishma. When she found out that her would-be husband was born blind, she decided to blindfold herself in order to emulate her husband's experiences. It is stated that the act of blindfolding herself was a sign of dedication and love. On the contrary, Irawati Karve and many modern scholars have debated that the act of blindfolding was an act of protest against Bhishma, as he intimidated her father into giving away her hand in marriage to the blind prince of Hastinapura. The Mahabharata depicts her marriage as a major reason for the story's central conflict. However in Vyasa's Mahabharata, there is no mention of Shakuni objecting to Gandhari's marriage with Dhritarashtra. As per the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata, Shakuni brought her sister Gandhari to Hastinapura for marriage. Gandhari was welcomed well by the Kuru elders and Shakuni gave many gifts to Hastinapura and returned to his kingdom. Her husband Dhritarashtra was denied the throne because of his blindness, despite being