The Lord's Son

He was dark and handsome. A younger reflection of his father, some said. A valiant warrior since his teens. His skills with the bow, arrow and spear were second to none. His warrior skills were trained by his father, the Lord himself. His birth was to kill a demon that tortured the people and drove the Devas away from Indralok. He was the eldest son, travelling all over Aryavarta to spread his father's teachings from north to south. His peacock was his best friend away from home, and he stayed in southern cities away from his home at Mt. Kailash to spread the worship of the lord. He led the devas to war against the Asuras and killed Taraka, the demon who had the boon to be killed by the Lord's son. He won the war, and the gods urged him to be their leader. His father, however, gave him the task of spreading knowledge to the south and restored Indra as the King of the gods. As he went south, the insecure Indra sent his daughter as a spy behind him to make sure he never had the plan to overthrow the leader. He instructed his daughter, " Devasena, Travel south in disguise and befriend him, make sure not to reveal your true Identity. He wanted to be the leader of the Gods and would not befriend my daughter. Stay close to him and know his moves. Keep informing me about them." "But why, Father? He will not do anything against his father's wish. "Do as I say, I command you!" She followed him through the journey, in disguise. On one hand, he killed a deer for sport, but gave the meat of the same deer away to hungry children. She was mesmerised by his handsome figure, generous heart and archery skills. She followed him into cities and villages and heard him speak wisdom to sages and common people. She followed him to Princess Meenakshi's palace and stayed as a maid. He was alone with his peacock in the gardens, resting when he asked for water. She walked up to him, and their eyes met. " I have seen you somewhere, o lady in waiting...where I cannot relate..."

" I don't know my lord."

" Please call me Murugan. Everyone calls me that here."

"And what do they call you at home?"

" Home... My mother named me Kartikeya..."

" You must miss home a lot."

" I do... what is your name? You don't look from down south"

"I am from the East, my lord."

"Not Lord again! That's what they call my father."

"Ohh!! " They shared a laugh. From the palace window, the Princess saw and smiled. That night, she called on Sena and asked, " You love him, don't you? "

" Who, My Lady?"

" Murugan. Devasena..."

Shocked, she stepped back. How did the princess know who she was? Will she be punished?

" Don't worry, I did not inform him that you are Indra's daughter. But I will have to inform your father that you chose a husband."

" But how did you...??"

" A princess always recognises another."

Back in Mt. Kailash, Indra stood with his hands folded before Murugan's Parents. The Lord and Devi were pleased with the proposal. Indra, on the other hand... this is the last thing he wanted.

The news reached Murugan. He realised that the lady was Devasena in disguise. Anger filled him. She, who was a spy of that man, now claims to love him and, knowing everything, his parents agreed to the marriage. His mother told him, " When a girl goes against her father's wish to marry a man he does not approve of, it means she truly loves this man and wants to fight the world for him."

The marriage was a huge celebration. They travelled back to the South to teach the people.

They travelled to the kingdom of Nambirajan, where he met Princess Valli. It was love at first sight, and with Sena's consent, he approached her in disguise to talk. Valli was unwilling at first. Later, when he saved her life in the forest from a wild elephant and asked for her hand in marriage, she agreed.

Thus, the god has two consorts. One from an arranged marriage and another from a love marriage. It is popularly said that the marriage to Sena helps keep his touch with the practical world and makes him the god of the Earth. Valli keeps his romantic side alive and helps fulfil his duties as the god of Heaven. He is worshipped as a bachelor in some parts of India, especially in the East, where the news of his southern wives had not reached. He is worshipped as Skanda in West Bengal, seated on his mother's lap. She is Skandamata. He is worshipped as a son of the Lord by couples wanting children. His birth faced many difficulties; hence, he removes difficulties from others' paths, it is believed. His consorts are goddesses only with him and not in their own right. Hence, they are worshipped with him and not separately. Princess Meenakshi is the goddess of the Meenakshi temple in the south, the protector of the land.

Maharana Pratap: The Evolution of an Icon

On the occasion of Maharana Pratap's 486th Birth Anniversary, here is an article I have been meaning to write for a long time. While some of it is personal, other parts are researched. Some parts of this article (art subsection) are reproduced from another article written by me for UPAJ India's magazine Manthan in 2022. Ideally, this was supposed to be two parts, but I did not wish to make it so. Cenotaph at Chawand Veer Shiromoni Hinduja Suraj Maharana Pratap Singh Sisodiya, as he is officially called, the thirteenth Custodian of the royal house of Mewar, a land that now lies in the south-western fringes of the Aravallis of Rajasthan, has been, for the longest time in Indian History, regarded as the first freedom fighter. Resisting invasion into his state, holding his post as king, his life and career had been scrutinised time and again, narratives changed according to popularity rather than evidence. His idea of independence inspired many; his strategy of guerrilla warfare wa...

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, ...

Chandra's Choice: The Story of Dhruvasvamini

More often than not, the private lives of kings and the existence of their queens remain in the words of bards rather than those of chroniclers. Dhruvasvamini is no different, even after being the queen of the golden age of the Indian Subcontinent. She appears in the Basarh Clay Seal as the mother of Govinda Gupta (attributed as a sibling of Kumara Gupta I) and the queen wife of Chandra Gupta II or Vikramaditya. Except for one mention of Dhruva Devi, as she is popularly known, she remains a mysterious character in the Gupta lineage, with a side mention in the dynasty’s history. Visakhadatta, a famous poet and playwright, who later wrote DeviChandraGuptam as the play capturing the life of Chandra Gupta II, captured Dhruva Devi as one of the protagonists of his story. Although some scholars attribute Visakhadatta to be under the patronage of Chandra Gupta II himself when he wrote this story, many historians debate the literary work as a historical fiction written much after his time. Tru...

Bijolia: Her Home

Journey to Bijolia: Lost Kingdoms and Timeless Temples of Mewar Bijoliya translates to a stop between two cities. Nestled in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district, Bijolia sits 55km from Bundi and 105km from Chittorgarh on the well-travelled Bundi-Chittorgarh road. Once part of Mewar, this seemingly sleepy town guards a rich and layered past: it was ruled from the 11th to the 13th century by the Punwars (or Parmar Rajputs) before falling under the Chauhan dynasty, who shifted the region’s capital to Bhilwara and constructed the imposing fort there. After a brief Chauhan rule, Bijolia was reclaimed by Rana Kumbha and became an integral part of the Mewar kingdom, with the Parmars serving as local Raos, representatives and stewards of the royal house. Despite its history and the famed Bijolia inscriptions (a treasure for historians), Bijolia has never found a seat on Rajasthan’s primary tourist circuit, especially if you’re venturing out by public transport or private car. While a handful of...

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...

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 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...

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, about 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 Sat...

A Chivalrous Emnity

“Ranisa. Hukum” There was a hint of urgency in the maid in waiting’s voice as she rushed to the clearing where the tents were set up. Rani Pur Bai Solanki, the second queen, frowned at her sudden, alarming voice. “Hush, Rama, the children are...” She checked the children’s tent, alarmed. They slept during the day and stayed awake at night, because the forestland was not safe, neither from animals nor enemies. “Ranisa, forgive me, it's Kunwarsa... He is back... but...” Pur Bai’s face lit up with a smile of hope that didn’t last long. “But?” “What is it? What’s wrong?” The Maharani of Mewar had walked out of her camp, with the other queens in tow. The maid bowed before her. “It’s Kunwarsa.” “He is back?” She frowned. He was not supposed to be back so early until his father reached Dholan. “So is Ranaji.” The maid looked scared. “There is a court called in an emergency. I came to inform you that Ranaji wanted everyone to be present.” “Jija...” Pur Bai could see the tension mounting on...

Charumati's Love

T his is written based on folklore. This is a representative work of fiction and does not claim any historical events 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 wage ...

A Journey To Discover Life

Search This Blog