Kalbhoj: The Legend of Bappa Rawal

The Historical fiction is woven mainly from folklore from James Todd's semi-historical book. However, a very vague historical presence is found in Bhojraj, the first king of Mewar.

The year was 713AD. The Maurya descendants, the Moris, ruled over the Chitrakut area of western Rajasthan. The areas around Chitrakoot were ruled by many small Chieftains. One of them was Rawal Mahendra II, a Guhilot descendant. (The descendant of Guha and Nagaditya) As most power struggles suggest, one of his ministers betrayed and killed him and made himself Rawal.

Once, Kalbhoj was in the forests near Nagda, close to the borders of the Solanki ruler, looking after his herds. The youngest Solankini princess was out in the forest playing with her Sakhis. They were making failed attempts to make a Jhula on a banyan tree. Kalbhoj was watching them try when one of the Sakhis spotted him. Witty and charming, he always grabbed everyone's attention.

Mahendra II had two wives, his first being a Paramara princess from Mt. Abu who had given birth to his only heir, Kalbhoj. In an attempt to save her son, she escaped to Nagda and gave up royalty. Kalbhoj was brought up in the village of Nagda among Cowherds as one and was not told about his past by his scared mother. Disguised as a villager, he was taught to serve the cows of the Brahmins.

"Why don't we try asking this cowherd for help?"

"Bring him to me," the Princess ordered.

The 13-year-old Kalbhoj came and stood before the princess, smiling. He was always kept away from people his age by his mother out of fear. And here, there were a bunch of them playing. Something he had never had the luxury of doing.

"We need you to build us a Jhula. Cowherd, can you?" The princess asked, staring, unsure.

"I can, but...I will need something in return." He smiled at the confused girls.

"You want coins? I can tell my father... he is the king of...."

"I want to be part of your games and play. Rajkumarisa."

"You want to play with us?" The princess was surprised at his request.

"Yes, I am... umm... Kalbhoj... I come here every day with my cows...."

"And we come here to play." She smiled. "Done!"

He cut out the wood and made the Jhula, decorating it with wildflowers for the princess. The banyan tree in the next few months witnessed a lot of innocent child play from the duo and her Sakhis. When Kalbhoj went and told his mother he had befriended a princess, she was scared that the truth of his background would come out in the open, so she decided to tell him all he needed to know about his ancestors, descendants of Kush, and Lord Rama and his father and forefathers.

"Let's play wedding today." The Sakhi suggested that they had witnessed a royal wedding recently.

"I will be a bride!" The Princess smiled.

"Kalbhoj be the groom!" Sakhis suggested. Kalbhoj was absent-minded about his recent discoveries as the children engaged in play.

"Seven rounds" The sakhis clapped excitedly.

"But where is the fire altar?" The princess frowned.

"Imagine the banyan tree as the..."

"Come!" the excited princess took Kalbhoj's hand in hers for the round.

Little did the children know that Solankhinis had many ways of marriage, one was the husband making a jhula on a banyan tree for the bride and taking seven rounds around the same.

"Stop!" The oldest Sakhi came running in vain as the rounds were done. She decided not to speak up about it.

"Come, princess, let's go home," she said, taking her away.

On reaching the Palace, they were stunned to see the talks going on about the princess's marriage to the prince of Jaisalmer.

"Princess, I need to tell you something." Sakhi couldn't keep quiet.

The next dawn, Kalbhoj was shocked to see her in the forest alone and early.

"Kalbhoj... I need to speak...."

" I need to confess something to Rajkumarisa. I am... Not a cowherd."

"You are not?" she asked, surprised.

"I am... a Guhilot prince," he searched her eyes for a reaction.

"You are?" A relieved smile filled her face. "Dhanyavaad Bhagwanji."

"Ji?" He asked, confused.

"I... we are married." She looked at his face, hopeful.

"What?" He asked, surprised.

"yes... We... the Banyan tree..." She explained as he looked surprised.

"They will get me married." She looked scared.

"I will come for you", he assured.

As it should have been, the Solanki King insulted the Cowherd and refused to believe he was the son of Mahendra, who was rumoured to be dead. The princess's marriage preparations were done, and Kalbhoj was thrown out. Kalbhoj roamed the forests in desperation for a way out when he chanced upon Harita Rishi. He was a saintly man who predicted him to be King and ordered him to leave for Chittor. He also left Kalbhoj with a strange four-faced Shivlinga.

"Be his Dewan, make him King and serve the people." Harita Rishi spoke, giving the teenager the linga. Kalbhoj took it home and made a small Shrine that is today's Sree Eklingji Temple.

He then, as per the instructions, reached Chitrakoot. The King there had just announced a competition in archery to choose his minister. Kalbhoj had never tried his hand at weapons, but his Guhilot blood had made him fearless. A young boy, an ordinary shepherd, stepped out into the arena to take the bow for the first time, astonishing everyone. The bull's eye earned him a place in the king's court, and his wit and hard work made him the King's favourite. The heirless king left his empire to the trusted minister.

Kalbhoj rose to the throne at Chitrakoot after the long rule of the Moris, as Bappa Rawal, to establish the Rawal dynasty in honour of his father. News reached Solankini Bai when she refused to marry the Jaisalmer Prince, declaring she was the wife of Bappa Rawal, the most powerful ruler. Remembering his insult, Bappa led his army towards Nagda when the King fell at his feet, asking for forgiveness.

"I can forgive you, but first, hand me my wife."

"She is yours."

"And promise me to give a Solankini princess to every ruler of Chitrakoot."

"I agree."

Bappa Rawal is rumoured to have ruled for 20 long years, his chief war being the Battle of Rajasthan against the Arabs. He had as many as 100 wives and many children who spread as different branches of the Mewari Rajputs. At about 80, he had renounced worldly pleasures to become a Yogi to serve Eklingji. He was the founder of Mewar's Rajput rule, the first Dewan of Lord Eklingji. His rule and his character are only known through folklore due to a lack of facts, and he stands hand folded staring at the Lord at Nagda, still, 25 km away from Udaipur, the present capital of Mewar.

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