The Lord in Love

High in the mountains of Tibet in the Himalayas lies Mt. Kailash, around the dry slopes of the Himalayas that wear a bare look quite different from the evergreen valleys in other parts of the mountain range. From Mt. Kailash at a distance to the left, one can spot the Manasarovar with its natural beauty, quite contrasting to the surrounding environment. The environment itself seems spiritual enough away from the evils of the real world, even today. Nearby, there is a Buddhist monastery. But thousands of years before the birth of Gautama Buddha, there resided local tribes in this land. They struggled with basic everyday necessities of food and shelter, and fought nature daily to sustain their lives. The mountains had forests and available food then, different from what it is today.

Their leader was a man of bravery and spirituality so high that they called him " Lord of the land". His self-taught archery skills, trident moves and yoga were famous all over the subcontinent of Aryavarta, and sages flocked to the mountains to gain philosophical and spiritual knowledge from Him. Warriors flocked to Him to gain his archery skills. But he preferred peace and solitude to warfare and weapons.

The mountains did not allow any luxury to their inhabitants. Thus, His shield from the cold was a tiger skin and His home where the mountain caves and forests with His tribe. Occasionally, when the winters were harsh, they had to travel to other parts of the Aryavarta. All the kingdoms welcomed Him as the Lord. His knowledge of the world and life and death was truly more than any other in his time. He chose bachelorhood to maintain himself from worldly pleasures and materialism.

However, it was not easy for Him to maintain the vow. On one of his journeys to the Ganga River, as he sat in yoga asana, a princess spotted him. She was the youngest Princess of Devagiri Kankhal near the Gangas. Unlike the people of Aryavarta, she and her family were shunned from any knowledge of this Great Man. Her father hated the tribe for reasons unknown, and never in her sixteen years of life has she heard of the Lord. As he sat on a rock clad in his Tiger skin attire and a Jata over His unmane long hair, she stared at this unknown man, awestruck. Somebody was playing the flute near the banks, and it seemed like the perfect moment. The Princess of Devagiri was in love!

He wore the Rudraksha, dried fruit as a jewel, and suddenly she spotted a Rudraksha that had fallen off His unmane hair onto the water of the river. The princess picked it up. Her heavy Navratna and Gold jewellery seemed like clay to that one fruit. She took it home. Her twenty-seven sisters were in the Antarmahal gossiping and laughing when She entered in haste, turning the attention towards Herself.

Seeing the Rudraksha, a scared gasp was followed by what might happen if their father saw it. They told her that Man was the " Lord of the Lords. Her father's sworn enemy. She was instructed to forget him. All night she thought about what she saw. Could her father possibly hate such a spiritual man?

The next day, she visited the Banks again. He was smoking chillum with his tribe's men. For the first time, the sounds of women's anklets made Him turn. As he looked at her, a sixteen-year-old girl clad in all the riches of the land, her eyes shone with childish innocence, yet her dusky skin shone the most in the sun!

He asked her what she wanted. She asked Him to marry her. The witnessing tribe gasped! What an audacity on this Princess's part to ask a vowed bachelor to marry her?! That to Her father's enemy. But he was mesmerised by this bravery. Oh, how He wanted Her to be His! But he had to refuse. Their social differences were too big to ignore, His vow too important to break. He knew what destruction He could cause. No girl could stay with him. And, she was too innocent to be hurt. He refused with a straight face. Her eyes shone with a tear. She fought back.

Hearing what his Daughter had done to shame him, the angry King decided it was time to marry her off to a Prince. He announced a Swayamvar. The land buzzed with news of the Princess's wedding as it reached His ears. He stood on the dark banks alone, looking at the shining waters. He was hurt. His friend and advisor in the tribe came looking for Him. Even in the dark, His pain was evident to his friend.

A sound familiar startled Him. It was her anklet. He turned around. She told Him if He did not come to save her, she would do the inevitable. Her words were angry. And the message was clear. I know you feel the same for me...

On the day of the wedding, as the King attended to his guests, he made sure the palace guards did not let any vagabond tribal animals enter the premises. A figure similar to Him was put in the Hallway to mock him if he dared to show up.

She walked down the aisle as Princes and Kings looked at her with lusty eyes. She made her way out of the door and into the hallway as everyone gasped. The King ordered his soldiers to catch her. She, without thought, put the garland around the figure's neck! The court stood in awe. The Princess has married a figure! Everyone from the Palace guards to the maids rushed to see. The King stood dumbfounded.

There was a commotion in the Hallway, but all she heard was one sound, the most beautiful one in her life. His Damru. As people made their way, He came up to her. Their eyes were still locked, and they felt alone in that crowd. Her eyes felt hazy as He wiped away her tears! She took the garland from the statue and placed it around his neck. People cheered as He held her hand and took her away from the luxuries of the palace with him to his Abode at Mt. Kailash.

She was his inspiration for making music. She danced while he sang. Their days passed by in merriment. One day, she came to know that her father had organised a Yajna. He invited all the Gods and Goddesses, Sages and Saints except them. Naively, she decided to visit home.

Upon her decision, he tried to make her understand in vain. Giving in to her will to go home, he sends his favourite follower with her. They arrived at Kankhal Palace to realise they were not welcome. Her father started insulting her husband in front of everyone. Angered and humiliated, she jumped into the same yajna Kund that was made for the Gods. Today, we see the 51 Peeth as places where parts of her body fell when Shiva did a Tandav with it.

Shiva Carrying Sati, Kalighat Style Painting.

Uttara's Hope

This is part of the "Uttara Series" You will find under the Mahabharata. The series is also available on Wattpad. She was clad in white attire. Her churamani and jewellery were all taken away. She sat numbly in front of his dead body for a whole day, pregnant with his heir, looking at his face as though he was asleep. He had told her more than once that this day could come and that she had to protect their heir. He feared her future without him. That one day turned the fifteen-year-old Princess of Matsya into an aged lady. She became quiet and aloof. Her only concern now was her baby. Her baby wiggled in her womb. She remembered him saying, " I will always be with you." All she wanted now was a son like his father. But she knew all Hastinapur wanted was an heir to the throne. The war had ended five days after his death, and they were back in the palace of Hastinapur victorious. She, for the first time, entered her real in-laws' home, but without him. All sh...

Asuras are not Demons

Demons in the Abrahamic religion are not the same as Asuras of Hinduism. Originally deities of Iranian origin, they were seen in the tribal context as no different from Devas but as counterparts to maintain balance. In early epics and Puranas, asura meant a chosen leader of great capacity. Only later, perhaps due to the Iranian link, their image declined. It was with the Brahmanas that the sharp divide appeared: devas as divine, asuras as evil. Puranic myths demonised them mainly to assert the superiority and immortality of devas, while asuras were cast as symbols of the "other." Since Tribes still worshipped them and embraced their power of negativity, being important to balance, they soon became synonymous with tribes, which was not the case mythologically. There are instances of Bali or Ravana being Kshatriya or Brahmin Asuras and competent kings. Indian demonology itself is vast and layered, shaped by surviving tribes, each with unique myths. Celestial, aerial, and terres...

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 ...

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...

Nawab E Bengal

Background: Nawab Alivardi Khan was ruling Bengal at the peak of Nawabi rule, expanding his strong empire. He had successfully suppressed the Marathas and had given a strong message to the British East India Company’s rising influence at Calcutta. Highly aware of the British Colonial policies across the globe, Nawab Alivardi Khan was strict with his policies and stronghold over Murshidabad, the then capital of Bengal (including present-day Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, and Bangladesh). He had two daughters and no sons. Amina Begum was the elder one, followed by Ghaseti Begum. Amina had three sons with her husband and courtier, Ahmed Khan. The second son, Mirza Mohammad, fondly called Siraj-Ud-Daulah (light of the country)by his grandfather, was born in 1733C.E. He was his grandfather’s favourite because he was born while he won over the Marathas. Alivardi Khan never let the “fortune child” of the family out of his sight. Siraj grew up accompanying his g...

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 ...

Prithviraj Chauhan: A Saga

Note: This piece is a work of fiction based on folklore and the Prithviraj Raso, an epic saga by Chand Bardai, who happened to be the court poet of Prithviraj Chauhan. The dates corresponding to wars, names of people and places are, however, historically fact-checked from various sources, including the works of Todd (semi-historical), The Amir Khusrau and contemporary sources like R.C.Majumder. The incidents are fictionally woven. Rai Pithora Around the year 1140 A.D., Ajmer was ruled by Anangpal of the Tomara Dynasty. Delhi was the seat of power of the Sultanate, which was a constant power struggle for them. He managed to capture briefly most parts of west Rajputana, and present-day Haryana and Punjab were also part of his kingdom. The old king had a son and two daughters. His concern grew as his son Surya was not talented enough to rule Ajmer. His youngest daughter, Princess Karpuri Devi, was married to Someshwar Chauhan of the famous Chauhan clan. Their son, Rai Pithora, helped...

Charumati's Love

T his is written based on folklore. This is a representative work of fiction and does not claim 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 both enemies and allies 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 wa...

Rani Padmini: The Valiant Queen

This story is a retelling of some parts of Malik Mohammad Jayasi's Padmavat, which was a historical fiction poem written in 1540, an odd 200 years after the siege of Chittorgarh by Allauddin Khilji. Historically, the Rajputs of Mewar didn't keep accounts of their queens, even by name, so the name Padmini or Padmavati was made up by Jayasi to represent the women of Chittor who chose the Jauhar. Historically speaking, Allauddin Khilji wanted the trade route to Surat for himself, which went through Mewar and Rana Ratan Singh, a patron of art, was not known for his military skills. So when Khilji surrounded the fort, the only way out was the Saka and Jauhar. Rani Padmini's Jauhar, as it is now popularly called, is also not the first Jauhar Khilji witnessed. The Jauhars of Ranthambore and Jaisalmer happened before he attacked Chittorgarh. Also, the act of Jauhar happened as early as the Greek invasions of Porus's state, when it is described as the "Mass immolation of Sa...

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 lea...

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