The Aftermath

The Pandavas arrived victorious at Hastinapur. Nobody was greeting them there, no smiling faces. The people they knew were either dead in the war or orphaned by it. There was not a home, not a village, not a family in the whole of Aryavarta which was happy. Poverty brought by the war killed many, and rapes, murders and injustice prevailed. Many kingdoms were King, and Many kings Heir less. People were fighting with their own families over property and wealth. After all, that's what this was about. Kings fought wars, and commoners just fought verbally.
Widows wailed over bodies and some searched for missing people under the debris at the war fields. Mothers beating their chests in pain. Children crying helplessly. The palace was silent and dark. The guards were dead, and the maids crying over their dead husbands and children. The atmosphere was loud in the silence. Funeral preparations were everywhere. Dhritarashtra and Gandhari were speechless, their hundred children were dead. Dushala was with them, widowed by her own cousins. Kunti met Draupadi and Subhadra. Three of them burst into tears. They had lost their children. Their future. Their heart and souls. Their sobs were overpowered by the cries of an infant. Uttara's ray of hope Parikshit. Abhimanyu's last sign. An heir. A future. Arjun took Vrishakethu as his son because he now knew he had killed his father and their elder brother Karna in the war. Guilt paved the way for fatherhood.
Dwarka was filled with hooligans. Men killing masses over wealth, raping wives and mothers, theft, injustice, and panic spread everywhere. The Lord had a tear in his eyes. He knew it was time. He remembered the curse. The Yadu clan started killing each other after petty fights. They perished.

Yudhisthir sat on the throne with Draupadi. Subhadra started training her grandson to be the next king. An Ashwamedh Yagna was performed by the Pandavas. Here, Arjun met his only surviving son, Chitrangada's heir Babruvahan, who ruled Manipur.
The surviving allies participated in the grandeur. Meanwhile, Vidur, Dhritarashtra, Gandhari and Kunti left the luxurious palace life to stay as hermits. They could no longer bear to live in such an environment. They regretted their decisions and the way they could not prevent their sons from killing each other. News arrived of their death in a forest fire. Yudhisthir's just and peaceful rule tried to balance the disorder in society. News arrived that Dwarka was eaten by the raging sea and Krishna lost his life in an accident. Balarama has given up his life in Samadhi in a cave near the Somnath temples. Yudhisthir too knew it was time. Everyone mourned the death of the godly men.
Parikshit was crowned king. A new generation ushered. The Pandavas made their way to the Himalayas. The Kali Yug ushered in with the death of yet another Avatar of the Lord. Subhadra stayed back to act and guide as Raajmata and Uttara and Parikhit attended the court. Yuyutsu, the son of Dhritarashtra and maid Sukhada was his official advisor. Sukhada was given royal status because of him. Parikshit married Madravati and had four sons Janamejaya, Bhimasena, Ugrasena, and Srutasena. He played an important role in the arrangement of the Vedic Hymns in the collection and his contribution is credited and praised in the Atharva Vedas which depict him as a just king, a great warrior like Abhimanyu and a patient ruler like Yudhisthir. News arrived that the Pandavas and Draupadi were no more. Subhadra and Uttara left for the hermitage. He consolidated the Kuru kingdom and paved the way for the development of the Srauta rituals. He ruled under great power for twenty-four years before dying of a snake bite at sixty. The Mahabharata suggests a murder plot by the Nagas who felt underprivileged and insecure in his kingdom.
Janmejaya succeeded him on the throne and decided to perform the Sarpa Satra, and called on the great sages from across Aryavarta. Sages and Rishis decided to stop him from destroying the Nagas so they narrated the tale of how their forefathers had fought and eliminated their own clan and that resulted in nothing more than pain. This is how Jaya, the present-day Mahabharata was composed. He decided to let the Nagas live safely in his kingdom and establish secular harmony.
It is believed that the present clan in Sri Lanka known as the Karavas are the decedents of Janmejaya who gradually moved there in parts during Maha Padma Nanda and Ashoka's time. Mahapadma is in fact from the lineage of the Raghu dynasty i.e. Rama's dynasty. The Karavas converted to Buddhism under Ashoka's daughter's influence. The flag of Hastinapur is said to contain the " golden lion" which was adopted in the Sri Lankan flag.

Strangely, Kalki who will end the Kaliyug and hence the MahaYug and take the people and society back to Satyayug where principles and truth will prevail is stated to be born in " The Land of The Golden Lion." A sign or not we do not know yet.

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Baz Bahadur's Decision

Upon the scenes of Malwa’s plains Reva meanders in ripples and waves, She witnesses stories only she could tell Of Love, revenge, lust and pain. The Reva blessed the land with her fertility and nurturing. She also stood witness to the thousands of stories, known and unknown, told and untold on its banks. Here is a tale the Reva tells hundreds of years later as she meanders still through the land that was once called Malwa. Hunting had from time immemorial been the pursuit of entertainment for many royals. The luxury of hunting for pleasure was only reserved for the rich and powerful and the king often accompanied by his friends would visit the forestlands on the bank of the Reva for the sighting of deer, boars and if they were lucky enough then even tigers. His ears were alert enough to observe the rustling of leaves in the winter afternoon or the call of a barking deer nearby. The chirping birds witnessed the hunting party galloping through the forest, trying to stay low and not al

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

Symphony of Love

A week was enough for the master to be pleased enough with the new student to tell the Sultan that she was ready for her first performance. The Sultan was extremely pleased and rewarded him with a gold chain. As the master bowed to leave, the guards announced the arrival of the chief queen. Sultan Baz Bahadur sat upright. She was his first bride, a childhood alliance his father had forced upon him when he did not even know what marriages implied. Now he only saw her face when she had complaints about the inner palace and its inhabitants. Honestly, he expected her there since Roopmati arrived. His queen did not like changes especially if those changes were threatening to her position. The Chief Queen arrived with her maids, dismissed them at the threshold and came up to her husband to bow and greet him. “What brings you here?” Baz Bahadur asked, with a lingering smile on his lips. The queen could hear the hint of taunt in his voice. She forced a smile. Her marriage to this reckless ar

Roopmati's Renewal

The entourage was too large and extravagant for a musician. Roopmati remembered that as a child during festivities she would ride on her father’s shoulder to see the entourages pass by the main streets of the town nearby. She had seen many a musician. None had such a huge entourage. Roopmati frowned a little unsurely as she took her father’s leave. His warning rang in her ears. “Remember what you do, how you behave will all come back to me.” She nodded. The chief queen was at a loss of words. She had never seen the Sultan himself step into the Mahal to check the chambers to be allotted to one of the girls who were coming in. She was not only one of the girls. She was a musician. The queens were curious. What would her position be then? She could not be a concubine and she was not a queen. A musician in the royal palace of the ladies? Had the Sultan lost his senses? Or did he have some other agenda? If he wanted someone he had them. He was the Sultan. There was no way he was trying t

Mewar: Parting Words

So the journey ended the night I boarded the train from Udaipur with a heavy heart. I was staring back again and again. I left a part of myself in Mewar. My parents say I am so obsessed with Mewar that I might have had some previous life there. I so wish! As the train went out of Udaipur station one can see the beautiful heritage city lit up in all its glory. Here I want to share my parting thoughts on the trip. The Food! It's utterly delicious, and I tried everything from the local aloo sabzi, matar to the famous Churma, Khichdi, Ghevar and even Biriyani. Their Saag and vegetables are so yummy! My personal favourite was the Ghevar which you have to preorder. Sweet Ghevar was delicious. So are their Thalis. Udaipur being a foreign tourist hub had wonderful continental dishes, chocolates, coffee, drinks and cakes. I loved the food there as well. Even tried Dosa in Udaipur which was okay!!! Fishes are not that available, chicken is and if you are vegetarian Mewar is heaven! Traditi

Indus Saraswati: A Mystery

A Railway route was being laid by the British Government in parts of West Punjab and Sindh (Present Day Pakistan) in India. They came across a mound amidst the plains near the village of Harappa. Digging through the plain they discovered burnt bricks, of the exact shape and size. So many of them, as though there underneath the mound lies a huge wall of some fort. The Railway work was stopped and ASI took over. A few years before this, an Italian youth had discovered some weird-looking seals at a site at Kalibangan. Unfortunately, before he could report it to the ASI chief, he was taken ill and died. With this discovery, the Indian subcontinent that Britishers believed had flourished only a few years before Alexander (some put the date around 800B.C.) was forced to shift the date of the beginning of this civilization by almost a million years. The Vedas, Puranas and local folktales were something the Indians were proud of, now for the first time, they had proof of the actual historical

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 realiz

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

The Cortege That Shook The Raj: Kanailal Dutta

10th November, 1908 Around late morning, a procession of lacs made their way through the streets of Calcutta (Kolkata), India. Some were chanting “Vande Mataram” others blew conch shells and Ululation filled the air. Flowers were being showered from all directions and garlands made their way through the crowd, being thrown at the procession in the middle. Bhagwat Gita and Ananda Math (Novel by Bamkim Chandra) were offered. No, this was no “ Sobha Jatra ” or celebration. This was no religious festivities either. That dawn, the Alipore Jail, which opened only two years back, witnessed the hanging of Kanailal Dutta, a twenty-year-old member of the “Jugantar Dol” an anarchist group that was set up primarily by Aurobindo Ghosh (Later Rishi Arabindo) his brother Barindra and their associates. Kanailal hailed from Chandannagore and although he was not present in most of their meetings in Kolkata he was still one of their early members from Chandannagore, then a French province. “ Jai Kanai ”

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

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