Uttara's Life

This is part of the "Uttara Series" You will find under the Mahabharata. The series is also available on Wattpad.

Parikshit has returned triumphant from the hunting expedition. He came to his Grandfather and sought his blessings. "Pranipat. I have returned triumphant, and as per your instructions, I met with Maharshi Jaimini and sought advice."

" What did he say, Putra?"
" He was pleased to know my idea on rewriting and reviving the lost Gyan of the Vedas."
" God Bless You, my child, at this age, you talk more gravely than we, reminds me of your father." Adhirathi Arjuna's face grew sad at the memory of his son. " Go see your Mother. She is waiting."

In the Andarmahal, Queen Uttara sat surrounded by her mothers-in-law and maids. The gossip was about the marriage of the Prince. Uttara had asked the elders to look for a bride. She wanted to do away with her duties towards her family. Thirty-three-year-old Queen Uttara was feeling old. She had now spent most of her life alone in the crowded palace. She wanted to be free and engage herself in spiritual bliss. Her social life was like a cage for her now. Parikshit rushed in and hugged her.
" You have come back, Putra? What is this wound?" The mother in her grew concerned.
" It is nothing, Maata, just a scratch, from the thorns of the forests."
" Daasi, bring in the medicines, Quick!"

Seeing his mother concerned made him smile. His smile made her feel that it was his father smiling at her as she cleared his wounds. Her mind travelled back eighteen years to a terrible memory and a promise, " I will be with you forever." Gathering her thoughts, she told her son, "It's time, dear. I have asked your grandfather to look for a suitable bride for you."
" But mother? Bride? Marriage?"
" Why not? You are eighteen, and your father got married at sixteen."
" Because people were unsure of the future, whether he would be alive to give an heir."

Her son's answer startled her. She remembered that his father had actually not wanted to cause her this sorrow; he wanted to spare her this life. Draupadi came up to the worried Uttara, " Don't worry, let him meet the bride, he will be ready, he is like his father, reluctant to change." Uttara nodded in silence with a smile.

The wedding was a grand affair. Uttara gifted all her jewellery that she had worn only six months after her wedding to her new daughter-in-law. The churamani shone brightly as Uttara prayed to God about her deepest fear. Let her life not be reflected in her Daughter-in-law. May they be together. Uttara's prayers were answered as they lived in peace and had their first child. Uttara held her grandchild, " Janmejaya, one who wins over life." She called him. Her first grandchild. The future. She was sad that the Pandavas could not see this, as they had already left for heaven.

She arranged a grand feast in the palace of Hastinapur. She was happy. Parikshit was holding his son in his arms. He was smiling at his baby. The scene filled her heart. She remembered how much his father wanted to do this. How much he wanted to hold his baby and teach him. Uttara's eyes filled with tears. She ran away from the crowd and into her chambers and drew out a chest. In it were clothes and jewellery. She took out a crown. It belonged to him.
" Arya, see your grandchild is born. Our Parikshit can do what you dreamt of. All because of your sacrifice." She was in tears.
"Maata?"
" Putra Parikshit. Why did you come here?"
" Why did you come away, Mother?"
" I was just..."
" Isn't that father's crown?"
" Yes, I was just... I have something to tell you."
" Yes, maata?"
" Your father had a dream."
" What is it, Maate? Tell me and I will fulfil it."
" He wanted to hold you in his arms and teach you."
Parikshit was shocked at this. His heart sank. He had always heard of how valiant his father had been; this side of him was unknown.
" He used to talk to you every day through me. He wanted the best for you. He would have been so happy today to see Janmejaya."
" Maata, I don't know what to say."

" Putra, take this crown. Give it to Janmejaya when he understands what this means. Tell him about his grandfather. Make him a valiant man."
" Maata, you will be there to teach him, he will learn as I learnt..."
" No, my Putra, Tomorrow at Pratakal I will leave."
" Leave? Where Maata?"
" To Maharishi Vyasdev's Aahsram."
" But why?"
Uttara smiled at her son. Only if he knew how lonely she had been, how her fight had been, how life had seemed like a cage at times.
" Because it's time I leave my social life and live in a hermitage, till death. But don't worry, your news will keep arriving there, and you can come to meet me."
" I will bring Janmejaya too; he should know his grandmother like I knew mine."
" But ..."
" And I am sorry you did not have a normal childhood."
Parikshit said nothing. He had always seen his mother quiet and composed. This side of her was different.

Uttara left for hermitage, where she got news of her son's several marital ties and the birth of his six other sons. She never returned to the place that stole her life for the sake of thrones. She was happy with her heritage. Peace was at her side at last. Her life was at last not involved in wars anymore. She was Happy.

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...

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 the 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 mountin...

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...

The Mastermind

The Prince was sitting on the Balcony of the palace. There was a worried look on his face. He sighed. He was treated as the most intelligent person in the whole of Aryavarta, yet he could not find a solution to this problem. His thoughts were interrupted by his mother. Her eyes showed that she had not had a wink of sleep for the last two days. She informed, " The gifts and flowers have been arranged, the chariots have been called on, and the journey will begin tomorrow morning." Her voice was distant. " Maata, is there any way...?" " Saubala Putra, I forbid you, our own happiness is not greater than that of the subjects. Their securities matter the most. So please do not use any Maya on the Emperors to anger them. Your sister has accepted her fate; you, too, do so." " But how, Maata? She is Intelligence personified; she has boons from Lord Shiva himself. How can we give her away to a blind man?" " That blind man is the most powerful person ...

Sisodiya Family History

Many of you have requested a historical and chronological account of Chittorgarh since Rana Sanga. Let me start by telling you this is just an outline of the events as per history. The family name was originally Guhilot from Guha, a Rana of Mewar. But after one of the kings bravely killed a Sisod, a wild boar, the family name came to be Sisodiya. The Maharana of Mewar, Sangram Singh , was father to Maharaj Kumar Bhoj Raj, his heir apparent and prince who was married to Saint Poetess Meera Bai , the princess of Merta. While Bhoj Raj died in the battle of Khanua, Rana Sanga died of wounds that did not heal from his battle with Babur and the invading Mughal army. He had fought 17 wars against Babar. When both Bhoj Raj and Sanga died, Rani Karvawati, the favourite queen of Rana Sanga, asked Meera Bai to leave the fort of Chittorgarh. It is believed that luck left Chittorgarh with Meera. The year was 1528 AD . Ratan Singh, the brother of Bhoj Raj, had been coronated when he suspe...

How Agni Became Auspicious

The great Rishi Saunak and his students had once gathered at the Naimisharanya at the beginning of the Kali Yuga to save themselves from the effects of this age. Here, Ugrasrava Sauti, the great Sage and son of Sage Lomharshana, came to meet them. He surprised them with stories of King Janamejaya's strange Swarpa Yagna and the strangest tales he heard from Maharshi Krishna Dwaipayana Vyas Dev there, at this strangest of events. The eager Rishis asked Sauti about the story of Bhrigu and Agni. Bhrigu was a powerful Rishi. His wife was Puloma, the Daughter of Daksha Prajapati and granddaughter of Brahma. One day, when his wife was pregnant, he left her in the darkness of the awaiting dawn to go for a dip in the holy Ganges far away. She was alone in the hut when a Rakshasa attacked her. Scared and alone, Puloma cried helplessly for aid. Her beauty had mesmerised the animals who wanted to marry her by force. The demon leader took her into the hut and shut the door. But inside the hut, ...

The Righteous Wife

Rao Nahar Panwar made Mandore the capital of Marwar, Rajasthan, until Rao Jodha shifted to the Mehrangarh Fort. Mandore, a few km from the blue city of Jodhpur, now stands as a tourist spot with an archaeological park of ancient temples. Dated back to around the 6th Century and older, these temples are an example of wonderfully curved stone architectural wonders. Amongst them stands a temple to an unusual deity. The King of Lanka, the demon devotee of Shiva, Ravana. Surprised? The Brahmins of this place religiously worship him twice every day. Why? Temples at Mandore During the Puranic times, Maya Danav, the architect among Demons, son of Rishi Kashyap and his wife Aditi, used to rule Madnore, with his consort, the Apsara queen Hema. They had two sons, Mayavi and Dhundhuvi, but yearned for a daughter. Devotees of Shiva prayed to him for a daughter. Once an Apsara, Madhura visited Kailash in the absence of Devi Parvati and tried to seduce the Lord. Angered at her action, the Devi h...

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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 Warrior and Princess

Dasharatha was very protective of his sons. He had got them after almost a lifetime of waiting and yajnas, so they were his lifeline. Ram, the eldest, won hearts with his humble, generous ways. Bharata, the second, was his favourite queen's brave son, and Laxman and Shatrughan were the twins to the lesser queen, who followed their brothers like shadows. They were a peaceful, happy family. Sage Vasistha was their Kulaguru, teaching them the Vedic hymns and the righteous ways of life. The Princes grew up in the luxurious, protected premises of the palace. The King of Mithila, too, was childless. Mother Earth granted him a daughter. Sita grew up learning and curious, followed by the king's second daughter, Urmila and their cousins Mandavi and Shrutakirti. They grew up knowing the natural ways of life, and their father took them to learn from men to know more about man and his natural instincts. The princesses were curious and always questioning the traditions, and the Princes lear...

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