The Evil Ansh

The King of Devas and Devguru Brihaspati were travelling to Kailash to meet the holy Lord. On the way to the Jungle, they met a naked man deep in meditation. The vain King asked the man the way. The man was so deep in his meditation that he did not reply. Fierce at this kind of humiliation, the God of Thunderstruck the man with it. The man opened his hand and neutralised the bolt. His third eye opened in rage, paralysing the King of Devas. However, he controlled his anger, and instead of turning the King to ashes, the energy from his third eye met the Oceans.

" Prabhu? Forgive Indra, for he did not know who you were." Brihaspati pleaded.

" DevGuru. This is my Kailash, where no man is greater than the other. He is not the king here. He should treat a man like he wants to be treated."

" Please forgive him, My Lord."

The ever-forgiving Bholenath smiled.

Miles away from the God of the Oceans, Samudradev found a baby. His wails were disturbingly loud. It did not have the sweetness of a baby. The Devas pressed their hands against their ears. The helpless Samudra Dev took the abandoned child to the Creator, Brahma. Brahma took the child in his lap, and the child caught his neck so hard he could hardly breathe. Letting go was not easy. Tears came in pain. Finally, Samudra Dev placed the child on his lap, and Brahma read his future.

" This child would be a brave warrior. He will rule Heaven, the Earth and the Patal Lok. Hand him over to Sukracharya. Tell him I named this child Jalandhar. He was born of Shiva's rage. However, this child should not know this, that would make it difficult for him to live among commoners."

A happy Samudra Dev handed the child to Sukracharya, the teacher of the Asuras. The child stayed under the care of one of the Asura women. He grew up to be a handsome young man just like the lord himself. Sukracharya taught him and made him king of the Asuras.

Vrinda was the daughter of Asura Kalanemi. Due to her devotion to Lord Vishnu, she was given a boon by the Lord that her husband would be alive as long as her chastity remained intact. She was an intelligent medical woman. As the King of the Asuras, Jalandhara set up a capital at present-day Jalandhar in Punjab. He married Vrinda as per Sukracharya's wishes to save his life from enemies. On coming to know of the events of Samudra Manthan, he realised how the Asuras were deprived, and he sent a message to Indra.

I, Jaladhar, am the son of Samudra Deva. I have heard that there are some possessions of his at your disposal, which you acquired through Samudra Manthan. I request that you return my father's property to me, or else I will take it from you.

Not paying any heed to the threat, Indra and the Devas were easily defeated and caught by the Lord's son. They went to Vishnu with the request to kill Jalandhar. Laxmi, his consort, who emerged out of the Oceans, said to her husband, " My Lord, you will fight Jalandhar. He emerged out of the Oceans like me, hence he is my brother. I know he can not defeat you, but promise me you won't kill him, for my sake."

The ever-smiling Vishnu replied, " Yes, my Laxmi, as you wish it shall be."

The war continued for days, and neither side won nor lost. Impressed with his warrior skills, Vishnu offered a boon. Jalandhar promptly replied, " I want you to make Kheeradsagar your home and honour the oceans. Let Mata Laxmi stay where she belongs."

" Tathasthu."

Soon, Jalandhar became king of the three worlds. He was the emperor. One day Narad Muni came for a visit and told him tales of the greatest man, Shiva, and his most beautiful wife, Parvati. The vain Emperor replied, much to everyone's horror, " Who is this Shiva? I have never heard of him. And if he is the greatest, I will defeat him and be the greatest, and his beautiful wife will be mine."

Sukracharya knew that Shiva was his father, but he had promised Samudra Dev not to speak of it. Jalandhar send a messenger, Rahu, to Kailash. The furious Shiva forgave his son for his silly attempts and ignored the invitation for a duel.

Meanwhile, Indra came to know of Vrinda's boon and rushed to Vishnu, " My Lord, do something. Jalandhar is becoming violent, and not even the Lord Mahadev can kill him because Vrinda will not give up her chastity willingly."

" Do not worry, Indra, for I will dress as Jalandhar and break her chastity."
"But my Lord, I am your wife, how can you bed somebody else's wife? Will that not be immoral?"
" Priye, when am Parasu you are my mother, when am Ram you, my Sita, when am Krishna you are my Radha, the Gopis, the wives, they are nobody yet they love me. Does that make Krishna there? Listen, my lady, whenever I go to earth, you will always accompany me as Panchali, Radha, Sita or Varahi... I am going to Vrinda as an obligation to my duties and not for love, cause Krishna is Radha's Ram Sita's, and I only yours..." Disguised as Jalandhara Vishnu, took Vrinda to her chambers. Knowing his true identity and realising it was too late, Vrinda cursed her worshipped Lord, " I curse you, my Aradhya, you will be born a human, and you will suffer from questions regarding your wife's chastity, and you will lose her." She committed suicide.

A fierce, angry Jalandhar kidnapped Parvati. He held her, wanting to marry her. Shiva's Ganas were at war with the Asuras. Shiva raised his Trident at his son. Before killing him, Shiva enlightened him with the truth about his birth. Shiva, who killed Jalandhar, is worshipped as Panchanan, the five-headed angry avatar of the otherwise peaceful Lord.

Jalandhar died a hero, blinded by his vain overconfidence in his powers and lack of knowledge. Otherwise, like all the other sons of the Lord, he was a great warrior, a perfect husband and a good ruler of the Asuras. His causes were genuine, and his thoughts were right. He is thus immortal through the city he built in India.

The Suta Putra

He was born as the eldest son of the Princess of Kuntibhoj. She was unmarried and had a bright future ahead of her. She did not want to sabotage her life and future for the unwanted child. She wrapped him in a blanket and decided to float him on the River, hoping the Mother Goddess would safely deliver him to someone. His father, the Sun God himself, was sympathetic to her plight and, for the safety of his son, provided him with a set of golden Kavach and Kundal (A set of earrings and a locket/beads/armour) to protect him. These were powerful enough to save him from any weapon. The currents took the baby far away to the land of Hastinapur. The royal charioteer Adhirath and his wife Radha were bathing there and praying to the Sun God for a child. A basket floated past them with a baby in it. They picked the baby up and decided to call him their son. Growing up, he wanted to learn archery and train as a Kshatriya, much to the objection of his parents. He went to Parasurama, the teacher o...

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 have been killed by him. Chittorgarh was in darkness. Around March 1540, Mewar once again saw hope as some trusted generals, along with Kunwar Udai Singh, attacked Chittorgarh, taking Banbir by surprise. He was soon t...

The Lady Sultan

Indian History, or subcontinental History, is incomplete without speaking of the women who left a mark in their own significant ways. The first woman who comes to mind is perhaps the only woman Sultan to rule Delhi, Raziya (Razia). It’s been over a year since I had been trying to read and understand the mystery of Raziya Bint Iltutmish . Attributed as the only Woman Muslim Monarch of India, she is a name of many assumptions, imagination and speculations. The few books that have been written on her or the historical accounts of the Slave Dynasty mentioning her have always been about the turbulence of the government and the various rebels and uprisings that took place among the prominent chiefs of Iltutmish, who wanted to rise in power. No documentation or portrayal is found about her look, character or early days from her contemporary times. The only relevant historical book I found solely on her was by Dr Karunapada Dutta, while she finds a chapter in Heroines by Ira Mukhoty or Th...

Haldighati: The Battlefield

The year was 1576 CE. Four years had passed since Maharana Pratap’s coronation as the ruler of Mewar in 1572 CE. In those years, the land simmered not just with heat but with tension. The Timurid emperor Akbar, determined to fulfil his imperial vision, had sent not one, but three peace emissaries with Man Singh and Bhagwan Das leading them, between 1573 and 1575 CE, offering reconciliation in carefully worded treaties. But the wounds of Chittorgarh’s fall in 1568 CE were fresh for Pratap. With the blood and tears of Jauhar and Saka still alive, with the thousands mercilessly killed, there would be no peace without freedom. Pratap was no ordinary king, to be driven just by his zeal. He was a strategist, steeped as much in statecraft as in pride. When Man Singh came in 1575 CE with yet another offer, he was quick to realise that Akbar was reluctant to an out-and-out battle with Mewar. Pratap chose not to appear himself, sending his heir, Amar Singh, instead, stating that kings met kings...

Chittorgarh: The First Jauhar

The concept of Jauhar holds a profound place in Rajputana history. It is a ritual where Rajput women willingly choose death by jumping into a fire altar, invoking the gods, and embracing honour rather than living under the humiliation of enemy conquest. Unlike Sati, Jauhar was never forced or compulsory; it was considered the most honourable death a Rajputani could choose when their men lost battles and the enemy laid siege. The Historical Setting: Jauhar Gate and Chittorgarh Fort Chittorgarh Fort once housed the palace of Rana Ratan Singh near the famed Vijay Stambh and his Jal Mahal at the fort’s main gate. When Alauddin Khilji invaded Chittor, much of this was destroyed. However, later ruler Rana Kumbha rebuilt the Jal Mahal and re-established the Jauhar Sthal to honour Queen Padmavati (also known as Padmini). Ratan Singh, who ruled Mewar during Khilji’s reign as Sultan of Delhi, was known to be a peace-loving monarch who enjoyed music and poetry. One of his court poets, Ragha...

Sisodiya: Kings, Queens and Princes (1538 - 1597)

I am back with another History post, this time it is on the wives and sons of Rana Udai Singh II of Mewar, his son and heir Maharana Pratap and Rana Amar Singh. This is a continuation of the Sisodia Family History I posted some time back. The information has been taken from Annals of Mewar by James Todd, Maharana Pratap by B.N. Rana, and Maharana Pratap by Rima Hooja. Udai Singh II was the son of Ranisa Karnawati and Rana Sangram Singh. He was born on 4th August 1 522, at Chittorgarh and died on 28th February 1 572 at Gogunda . He was the Ruler of the Sisodia Dynasty. He is believed to have 56 sons and 2 5 wives, apart from the many insignificant queens in his Rani Mahal. Here is a list of his main queens and their sons. Maharani Jaivanta Bai Songara of Jalore was his chief queen and consort. Her son is Maharana Pratap. He was married to her before he went to war with Banbir, as her father, Akshayraj Rao, was a friend and ally of his father, Rana Sanga. Saj...

Mewar: Origin of Guhilots

Origin: Lord Rama had two sons, Labh and Kush . The Ranas of Mewar are descendants of the former. Labh had built his capital at Lah-Kot (Lahore) , and the branch from which the Mewar blue blood arrives resided there until Kanaksen (Often traced as the founder)moved to Dwarika, Saurashtra. "Sen" was used as a title term for many decades by this Suryavanshi clan until it later changed to "Dit" or "Aditya", names of the Sun. Aditya was changed to Guhilot permanently after the expulsion from Saurashtra when they settled in the Ahar valleys (Aravallis). The Sisodia clan sprang from a Prince of Chittoor who had killed a hard chase hare (sissoo in local dialect). The branch often used " Ranawat ", meaning "Royal Blood", as a title, but over time, Sisodia emerged as the retained branch name. Kanaksen wrestled dominance of the Parmar race and founded Birnagar in AD 144. Four generations hence, Vijay Sen ...

The Timurid Empress

Ruqaiya Sultana Begum was born to Babur's second surviving son, Hindal Mirza, and his wife, Sultanam Begum, in 1542 C.E., merely a few months after Hamida Banu gave birth to the heir Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar. She was well-versed in Persian, Urdu and Arabic and was attracted to poetry and music. Being a proud descendant of the Timurid clan, most of Rukaiya's childhood was spent in Kabul, near the Bagh E Babur, built by Babur himself. From early childhood, she had seen the struggle of her family to regain their lost power in Hind. Miniature of Rukaiya Begum as Empress In 1551 C.E., just after her father died young at a battle for Humayun, leaving her and her mother in the harem of the emperor, it was Hamida Banu who wanted the marriage of Rukaiya to her first cousin, Akbar. Theirs was the first in-house marriage of the Mughals, soon to be followed by many more in the generations to come. At the mere age of nine, she had married the crown prince, and when Humayun won back Lahore...

Etched In Stone

The prince stood on the edge of the cliff, looking at the horizon. Dawn arrived as the birds started leaving their nests, wings fluttering, eager to discover the world. He looked up at them, the thought of once again going back to exploring the length and breadth of his state making him feel a little restless as he eyed his healing wounds. He was left to die; his enemies wished so. Yet by some miracle of fate, as if his purposes were yet to be fulfilled, here he was breathing and healing, watching one more sun rise on the horizon. The forestland below the cliff was quiet. He could hear a stream meander somewhere and sounds of hooves as he imagined a group of animals going to quench their thirst somewhere. He gulped. Was he thirsty too? He turned his back to the vast forestland below as his eyes fell on the cave that had been his home for some time now. Away from the eyes of his brother’s spies and the scrutiny of his father’s trusted men, here was where he had healed. He was about to w...

Chawand: The Maharana's Capital

The road from Udaipur quickly fades into quiet countryside as you head toward Jaisamand Lake and Chavand, a journey that few package tours offer, but one that is forever imprinted on my memory. Just shy of an hour and 59km from the city bustle, you reach Jaisamand (Dhebar Lake), the “Ocean of Victory,” sprawling as Asia’s once-largest man-made lake . Built in 1685 by Maharana Jai Singh, who followed his father’s legendary tradition of dam-building, this vast sheet of water shimmers in the sunlight. I watched local ferries pass, and marble stairs dip into blue shallows, imagining bygone queens slipping into cooling water beneath the massive embankment. Even today, friendly boatmen linger, eager to usher you onto the lake for a breezy ride. They tell you stories of how once a Maharana roamed these dense forests in search of freedom. Do pause here and soak in the peaceful air before venturing further southwest, toward the forgotten echoes of Mewar’s pride. The drive to Chavand, ...

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