Draupadi (Daughter of Drupada)
also referred as Panchali and Yajnaseni,
is the tragic heroine, one of the central characters and the common wife of the
Pandavas in the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. She is described to be the most
beautiful woman of her time and was prophesied to bring a major change in the
future.
According to the epic Mahabharata, Bareilly region (Panchala) of Uttar Pradeshis said to be the birthplace of Draupadi, who was also referred to as 'Panchali'. King Drupada of Panchala (Capital - Kampilya) had been defeated by the Pandava prince Arjuna on behalf of Drona, who subsequently took half his kingdom. To gain revenge on Drona, he performed a yajna called Putrakameshtiyajna to obtain a means of blessing him.