Maha Shiva Ratri

On the 14th Night before the new moon of Phalgun, Lord Shiva married the Daughter of the Mountain. This night is called the Mahashivratri. This night, the aesthetic became a householder for the second time. Everyone from Devas, Asuras, Ganas, Yakshas and Nagas celebrated the day. Because Lord Shiva was everyone's Lord. He chose no sides, he was equal to all be it humans or animals or plants or any other living creatures.

Har Har Mahadev!

This means he resides in everyone. He is in us.

Mewari Miniature painting of the Lord's Marriage

Mahashivratri. The ideal way to spend it is fast, and break it at the darkest hour of the night. The darkness represents him, it is said he took the Lingam form in Adi Shakti's yoni at this hour. The Linga represents the completeness of Purush and Prakriti. He is the Purush and she is his Prakriti. In one of the legends, it is said that the marriage took place for two days and nights and to celebrate them, we stay awake and listen to or recite the Shiv Puran and its tales. Then break our fasts at dawn.

Shivji likes things simple and easily available. Unlike other gods, he needs no yagna or bathing before worshipping. You can chant a shiv mantra any time you want at will, anywhere, while doing anything. He loves the Dhutra and Akanda flowers. Wildflowers that are found anywhere. Rudraksha. It was one of the most common dried fruit at that time. It's poisonous and of no use to humans, so Shiva accepts it at will. The Bel leaves that are given to him, in strands of three represent the trinity, Brahma Vishnu and him.

Ashes, snakes, and everything that humans find harmful he accepts as an offering. His favourite food is the rice kheer, "anna" made by the Annapurna herself. So we offer him Kheer or fruits. His worship says you can call me when in trouble, you don't need to chant my praises daily to please me, call me in trouble and you will find me in some form or other.

Jodhpur Paintings of Lord Shiva being married by Brahma

He is the Adi the Anta, the Beginning of the End. He was there when no one was there, and he will be there when no one will be. He is the one who is not controlled by time or space. He is beyond praises and songs, chants and rituals. He is beyond everything. He is Mahakal. He is Nageshwar. He is Somnath. He is Jateshwar. He is Shiva. He is Mahadev.

Om Namah Shivay!

Other festivals associated with Shiva are Neel Sasti, representing the day he drank the poison of the world to save humanity and he became Neelkanth, the one with the blue neck.
Har Har Mahadev!
This means he resides in everyone. He is in us.

Every God has a birthday that is celebrated as a festival. Be it Janmashtami, Ram Navami or Ganesh Chaturdashi. Lord Shiva is endless, He is Adi. The beginning, the one who defeats time. No one knows his birth or Origin. He is not a self-appointed God. He is the Lord to the people. The destroyer who protects. The one who is said to be the perfect one.
Legends say, and as we hear from our elders, if you desire a perfect husband he must be like Lord Shiva. But the question may arise, why him?
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Him. Because as a husband there was no one more perfect ever born. They are the first couple on earth, the Adi Yugal. They completed each other. He respected her individuality and at times accepted her greatness more than he, knowing that is not true. She was the strength behind his power. His Shakti. He steered her whenever she lost her way. He taught her the first art of Aghori Tantra. He respected her as half of himself, incomplete without each other. The first couple to marry by the modern rituals of marriage, the priest was Brahma himself. They were one, they were inseparable. A one-woman man. He was, always.

Mahashivratri. The ideal way to spend it is fast, and break it at the darkest hour of the night. The darkness represents him, it is said he took the Lingam form in Adi Shakti's yoni at this hour. The Linga represents the completeness of Purush and Prakriti. He is the Purush and she is his Prakriti. In one of the legends, it is said that the marriage took place for two days and nights and to celebrate them, we stay awake and listen to or recite the Shiv Puran and its tales. Then break our fasts at dawn.
Shivji likes things simple and easily available. Unlike other gods, he needs no yagna or bathing before worshipping. You can chant a shiv mantra any time you want at will, anywhere, while doing anything. He loves the Dhutra and Akanda flowers. Wildflowers that are found anywhere. Rudraksha. It was one of the most common dried fruit at that time. It's poisonous and of no use to humans, so Shiva accepts it at will. The Bel leaves that are given to him, in strands of three represent the trinity, Brahma Vishnu and him.

Ashes, snakes, and everything that humans find harmful he accepts as an offering. His favourite food is the rice kheer, "anna" made by the Annapurna herself. So we offer him Kheer or fruits. His worship says you can call me when in trouble, you don't need to chant my praises daily to please me, call me in trouble and you will find me in some form or other.

He is the Adi the Anta, the Beginning the End. He was there when no one was there, and he will be there when no one will be. He is the one who is not controlled by time or space. He is beyond praises and songs, chants and rituals. He is beyond everything. He is Mahakal. He is Nageshwar. He is Somnath. He is Jateshwar. He is Shiva. He is Mahadev.
Om Namah Shivay!

Other festivals associated with Shiva are Neel Sasti, representing the day he drank the poison of the world to save humanity and he became Neelkanth, the one with the blue neck.

Jauhar: All You Need to Know

“We have no Knowledge of the beginning and end of the world, the first and last of this ancient book has fallen out” Abu Talib Karim Rightly said by the poet laureate of Emperor Shah Jahan above, we do not actually know the beginning and end of anything in the universe, be it the traditions, culture or human race, or the world. What we know are fragments of the past we extract out of evidence. It is in vain to try and determine the first and last of something. For the past few months owing to some media hype on Jauhar, many of you had asked me questions. I tried to answer most of them. However, a lot remained unsaid and unwritten. Mostly because some things are impossible to put into words. But here I try my best. Today is a very significant day in history. On the 23 rd of February 1568, the world saw the last “Jauhar” of Chittorgarh, recorded in the medieval history of India. Akbar had invaded Mewar and the siege of four months ended in the Saka. There was no better day for...

The Queen of Mewar

There have been many versions, folktales and local stories in Rajputana on their Kings and Queens. None of these versions is, however, historical as history only mentions her as wife to Maharana Pratap, his consort and Queen Mother to Amar Singh. She was busy making a garland when Ratnawati rushed inside, hardly able to breathe. Concerned, the elder sister stopped her work and looked at her panting young sibling. " What is it? What's wrong?" "Jija maa sa is not letting me go to the haat mela alone. Please come with me, I need to buy some bangles." The spoiled younger one pleaded. " Wait, let me do my aarti first, then we can go." The reluctant Ratnawati sat down impatiently. In another room, their mother was helping their father get ready for the day. He was the Samant of Bijolia, the representative of the Rana of Mewar. Throughout the day he had to deal with administrative problems in Bijolia and give people justice, but today he had something...

The Queen Mother of Mewar

Let me start by saying, this is a representation of history and folklore in my own words, trying to show how great a soul this lady was. And let me start with a line here. “Naari Ki Balidaano Ko Sadev Bhulta Aya hai Itihas.” Yes, most women lay forgotten in the pages of history, only alive through the folklore and local tales that fail to reach the pages of books due to a lack of historical evidence. Their names don’t remain, but their haunting hand prints on the fort walls before Jauhar, their names on inscriptions as daughter, wife and mother, often make us wonder, who were they, how were they and how were their lives! Historically, the only thing we know about Maharani Jaivanta Bai Songara, princess of Jallore and queen of Mewar is that she was the first queen of Rana Udai Singh II, the mother of most probably her only son Maharana Pratap and daughter of ally of Rana Sanga, Akshay Raj of Jallore. Apart from that her entire life has no historical existence and is spun on ...

The Princess of Marwar

Historically we know nothing about Phool Bai Rathore except that she was the daughter of Ram Singh Rathore, granddaughter of Raja Maldeo Rathore and fifth wife of Maharana Pratap. There is no historical evidence of Akbar's alliance with her in particular however Maldeo did give his granddaughters in a marriage alliance with Mughals and other major dynasties. Phool Kanwar's cousin Maanwati Bai (Better known as Jodha Bai or Jagat Gossain) married Salim, Akbar's son and later emperor Jahangir. The Princess was in her chambers. The Mehrgarh Fort was in a quiet dark state and everyone feared what lay ahead. The men of the Rathore clan had gone to ally with the Mughal emperor Akbar. Rao Maldeo had decided that it was the only way to save Marwar's future. His second son Udai and youngest one Chandrasen supported his decision to save the country. But his heir and firstborn Ram Singh Rathore was a rebel. He was not going to bow down before the Mughals and lose his dignity. A...

Maharana Pratap: The Sun of Mewar

Many of you have read my fan fiction as well as historical representations of the life and times of Maharana Pratap Singh of Mewar. I provided small details of his life in many articles. But never have I ever made a separate historical post on him. It is very difficult to put together his life without the help of folklore because historical evidence is scarce. This one was requested and hence here it goes. Needless to say, this one is very special. This is a blend of history and folklore. Leave your love. ❤️ Background and Birth: The year was 1540. Mewar was under a cloud of uncertainty. Banbir, their ruler for four years now, was a very incompetent ruler who always spent his time in luxury, drinking and dancing with girls. The crown prince Udai Singh was rumoured to be killed by him. Chittorgarh was in darkness. Around March 1540, Mewar once again saw hope as some trusted generals along Mewar with Kunwar Udai Singh attacked Chittorgarh taking Banbir by surprise. He was soon to re...

The Warrior Bride

Kelwa/Kailwa is a small village situated around two hours away from Chittorgarh and an hour from Lake Pichola. It was mainly inhabited by the Rathores and ruled by the Chundawat clan, who were once the rulers of Mewar. One chief of Kelwa, was Rawat Sihaji Singh Chundawat. He was a very close ally of Rana Sanga. His son Jaga Singhji too died fighting for Rana Udai Singhji in one war with the Afghans in 1555 AD. Kelwa’s heir was the minor child of Jaga Singhji and his widow Sajjan Bai Songara Chauhan. Being from the clan of the Chauhan Rajputs, she was a warrior at heart. From the early age of about four, her only son was brought up under his uncle Naga Singhji, to fight for his motherland and serve it like all other Mewaris. Fatta (Patta), as fondly called by everyone was a deft warrior even before he reached his teens. His name and bravery spread across the land, to Rana Udai Singh’s ears in Chittorgarh. He was also the nephew to Ranaji’s close aide Rawat Chundawatji. Upon the order of...

Teeja Saka Chittor Ra

23rd February 1568. The sun rose on the eastern horizon, not with the hope of a new day. But, with the horror of what was to follow. The first rays of the Sun God were met by the chants of “Jai Bhavani!” that echoed in the air of Chittorgarh. The Mewaris knew it was time. Four months back, when the Mughals camped at the base of the fort, a helpless Chittorgarh had watched. Rana Udai Singh had left with his closest aides to make the new city westwards, his capital. If rumours were to be believed, he had left behind a cavalry of 8000 soldiers, under Rao Jaimal of Merta and Rawat Patta of Kelwa to look over the fort. He had also left behind some of his lesser queens and infant princes, as an assurance to the people that Chittorgarh was invincible. Their safety and hope had lived in Kunwar Pratap. Truth be said, they had already taken the crown Prince as their King. Ever since Ranisa had left with him till he became the Senapati, he had time and again proved to be a better lead...

The Navroz Incident

This popular folklore has been recreated from Col, James Todd's Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan. Names I have added, from my own historical research. This one is especially for Garima to thank her for the books and love! Yet another Veer Gatha from the dessert! Ps. This is folklore with no evidence of history, please remember that Bikaner, lying in the western part of the Thar, was a small yet independent state ruled by a clan of Marwari Rathores until Raja Kalyanmal surrendered to Akbar's Rajput Policies in 1571. His fourth son Prithviraj Rathore, being a great warrior and poet was respected as one of the "Nine Gems" in Emperor Akbar's court. Prithviraj, was the son of Kalyanmal's first wife and queen Rani Songaribai Rainawati, a cousin of Maharani Jaiwanta Bai of Mewar. Hence he was cousin to the valiant Pratap Singh of Mewar. He was also married to one of Rana Udai Singh of Mewar's daughters from his other wives, sister to Kunwar Pratap, Baisa Ja...

The Reva Cries

Roopmati had watched the troops leave. She had stood behind the chief queen as she traditionally bid goodbye to her sons. She had waited for the Sultan to come to her. He did. He was confident that the sudden advancement of Akbar’s foster brother Adham Khan could be curbed. It was not war, just precaution. He reassured her. Malwa would never bow to the Timurids. And he would not let anything happen to her. To Her. Roopmati felt suffocated by her husband’s affectionate hug. She felt trapped in the scrutinising eyes of all the people in the palace. Angry blaming eyes. She tried to pace herself and sing but her voice cracked in fear. Her melody was drowned in tears. Every evening a messenger would come to the chief queen with the news of war. Roopmati was kept in the darkness. She was not told about anything. She knew the rumours. She was a witch. A temptress who caused doom to the Sultan of Malwa. She was a spy of the enemy planted in his life to destroy him. She wondered if he came back...

Charumati's Love

T his is written based on folklore. This is a representative work of fiction and not claiming any historical happening in the conversations. This is to show the spirit of the women of Rajputana. The year 1657. Shah Jahan had taken ill and was rumoured to be dying in Agra Fort. He was about eighty and the pressure of having an empire had taken a toll on his body. The seat of power was slowly shifting from Agra to Delhi since the prominence of the Laal Quila had increased and if the news spread was to be believed his sons were in a battle for the throne already. It was time each king chose sides once again. Dara Sikhoh was the eldest and the righteous Heir to the throne. He was believed to be a man who held high morals and was hence respected by the enemies and alliances as well. Aurangzeb was his sibling and the youngest of the brothers. Short tempered and cunning he was always dreaded by the court. As Shah Jahan took ill, Aurangzeb took this as a golden opportunity to wage ...

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