The Weighing of Love

This fascinating story of Tulabharam first originated in Vijayanagar during the reign of Krishna Deva Raya. It is believed that the story was written by his court poet using Krishna as a metaphor for their own king, who was a namesake, whose first wife thought he gave more importance to the second. Nowhere before that was this story originally found, and most interestingly, Tulabharam became quite a ritual in medieval India after this story, especially in the courts of the Mughals and Rajputs.

Satyabhama was the second wife of Lord Krishna. He married her after his marriage to Rukmini. Proud of her nature, Satyabhama was very confident; her husband's heart was hers, and she had full control over him, unlike his other wives. Every girl dreamt of his Leela, but she was the one who stole his heart by helping him kill the rakshas. Her arrogance was so that she told his 16000 other wives that she was his chief consort. Narad Muni seemed amused watching this. He decided to intervene.

He visited Satyabhama one day at Dwarka and, in a jest, brought up the topic of her husband's chief consort.

" Narayan, Narayan, Rani Satyabhama, pardon my interference, but I feel you are wrong. Lord Vasudeva's heart belongs more to his first wife than to you. After all, he chose to elope with her."

" That is not true. He married 16000 other women because I said so."

" He married them because it was the right thing to do. It was Dharma."

" Tell me what I have to do to prove that he belongs to me." Satyabhama was angry and adamant to prove him wrong.

" Narayan, Narayan. There is one way." Narad smiled. "Tulabharam."

"What is that?" Satyabhama seemed clueless.

" Give him away in Daan to a Brahmin. Then, on a scale, place him on one side, and place wealth equal to his weight on the other side. If you give that wealth away to that Brahmin in return for your husband, he is believed to be yours. Are you willing to give away your wealth, jewellery and expensive ornaments to me in exchange for your husband?"

" I will do anything for him, Munivar."

Krishna marrying Satyabhama

The preparations were made, and Satyabhama gave Vasudeva Krishna away on Daan to Narada. The Large scale was ordered, and Krishna was placed on one side of it. Krishna remained a mute spectator of his wife's will to win him over. She loaded the empty scale with all her jewellery. The bar did not move. She placed her golden ornaments, furniture, clothes and everything else she possessed. Still, Krishna's side was heavier. Worried, the helpless Satyabhama summoned the 16000 other wives. They gave away their expensive wealth as well. The scale was full, yet the bar did not move. Krishna sat heavily. Narada smiled. Krishna was his. The wives started crying in dismay.

Rukmini, Princess of Vaidharva, the first wife of the lord, was out by the seaside with her firstborn, Pradumnya. A maid reached her in a hurry.

" Please, Vaidharvi Rukmini, please go immediately to the Palace. See what is happening." She was crying.

Rukmini grew worried. " What happened, Daasi? Why are you in tears?" The Daasi narrated what had happened. Rukmini seemed calm. She went to the gardens. The palace courtyard was full of people from all over Dwarka. They were standing, worried and awestruck, at the spectacular turn of events they had just witnessed.

Rukmini entered the courtyard with a Tulsi leaf in hand. Satyabhama rushed to her, crying.

Rukmini and Krishna eloping

"Jiji, please save our husband with your wealth. Give your jewellery to the scale. Otherwise, Narad Muni will take him away." Satyabhama was helpless and in tears. A calm Rukmini took the blessings of Narada Muni. She then looked at Krishna. They smiled at each other. Rukmini then placed the leaf on his feet and sought his blessings. He blessed her with a smile, and immediately the bar moved and the weight side was heavier. Everyone cheered for Queen Rukmini for keeping the Lord at Dwarka. Krishna rose to his feet, and Satyabhama sought his forgiveness for her arrogance.

" Narayan, Narayan, Rani Satyabhama, you cannot hold the Lord's heart by wealth or desire. You need to worship him and want him with pure love like Rani Rukmini. She holds his heart because she does not want control over him. Neither does she want him for herself. The Lord is everywhere, with everyone. He is not yours or mine, Rani Satyabhama. Narayan Narayan." Narada took their leave.

Today, Krishna and Rukmini are worshipped as a couple reincarnation of Narayan and Laxmi. At the places called Tulabharamareshwar and Tulabhraj, a scale representing this story is kept for this incident. They are worshipped at temples in parts of Gujarat and Maharashtra, as well as Vithoba and Rakhumai.

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 ...

Bijolia: Her Home

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The Emperor's First Wife

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. 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, she was fifteen. At the mere age ...

The Buddhist Empress of India

Many historians believe that although Devi was the first wife of Asoka, his Buddhist queen, Asandhimitra, was not the same person. However, some also theorise based on Buddhist and Jain stories that they were in fact the same person, and the reason for that is that they don't seem to appear in the timeline together. Devi disappears when Asandhimitra arrives at the scene rather abruptly to do her charitable work. Hence, I personally believe they were one and the same. This story, however, is a retelling of folklore and not history. Please do not consider this piece of fiction as history. The whole village of Vidisha Nagari was buzzing with activity. Every home was being cleaned, and cooking preparations were on. The youngest prince of Magadha was coming to a halt the night at their village on his way to Ujjain. Great unrest was reported at Ujjain, and the youngest prince, as the general of this region, was being sent by the emperor to solve the issue. The villagers were scared as th...

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...

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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...

Chittorgarh: The Devoted Fort

Chittorgarh, renowned for its tales of sacrifice and valour, is also a remarkable testimony to secular harmony and religious heritage that flourished over centuries. Beyond battles and sieges, the fort and its surroundings are dotted with numerous temples, talabs (reservoirs), kunds (water tanks), and temple complexes; some intact, others abandoned or in ruins, each narrating stories of devotion, culture, and royal patronage. The Legend of Meera Bai: Devotion and Defiance One of the most inspiring figures linked to Chittorgarh’s spiritual legacy is Meera Bai , the saint poetess and princess of Merta. Married in 1513 AD at age 14 to Maharaj Kumar Bhoj Raj Singh Sisodiya , the eldest son of Rana Sanga, her story is one of profound devotion. As a child, Meera Bai was deeply attached to the idol of Lord Krishna, whom she considered her true husband, an attachment sparked by a childhood curiosity and nurtured with daily conversations and care for the idol. This devotion dista...

A Journey Called PrAja

Love is a relationship based on trust and understanding. It is also a bond that is made up there. People often ask, "Why them?" I end up telling them some folklore. I end up telling them about how she actually was his shadow in the forests, in bad times. Because love passes all its tests in the worst times when you don't give up on each other. So, here's to My Pratap and His Ajabdeh! Ps. This is about the show Bharat Ka Veer Putra Maharana Pratap on Sony by Contilloe Starring Faisal Khan, Roshni Walia, Sharad Malhotra and Rachana Parulkar. This is NOT their real story. The show aired from 2013 to 2015. Ajabdeh, the simple, strong yet gentle samantputri, was starstruck seeing the down-to-earth Kunwar Pratap, the crown prince of Mewar. She was clueless that he held the key to her heart, her lost mala that destiny had chosen him for. Na na na na na Chan Chan Chan Chan na na na na! A comedy of errors followed, as she threw the pail of water on him, fumbled at his presen...

The Annals of Rajputana

Col. James Todd’s Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan describes Rajputana through History, Geography, Mythology, Folklore, Veer Gathas, Traditions, Cultures, Heritage, Rules, Valour and its people. However, one must remember that he was commissioned to write the narrative and his resources are not based on historical evidence. However, it is worth a read and very interesting. The following excerpts are from his book. Please take note that Todd's accounts are based on hearsay, stories, and commissioned by royals and hence aren't treated as historically accurate. However, his book is important as it is the first English-language book to have extensive work done on Rajputana. Rajputs are commonly believed to be people from Rajasthan; however, their branches have spread far and wide into Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and even parts of Bengal. The initial origination-based clans/tribes had been subdivided first in the book Prithvirajraso by Chand Bardai; howev...

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 b...

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