Uttara's Love

The Princess of Matsya was now the bride of the Prince of Indraprastha. They were leaving her Paternal home at Viratnagar and going to Dwarka where the Prince grew up in his maternal home. Her actual Sasural was Hastinapur where his mother has been, but the upcoming war between her husband's clan forced them to go to Dwarka. It was a day-long journey. From Bairat in Rajasthan to Dwarka in Gujrat. They stopped midway in the forests to give the charioteers and horses rest. When she started the journey she was sharing a chariot with her mothers-in-law Panchali and Subhadra. Her husband was upfront with his father. The chariots were in line, the new bride's one in the middle of the long procession. She was in conversation with the ladies.

" So, did Abhimanyu talk to you or was he this shy?" Asked Panchali noticing the young bride trying to catch a glimpse of the groom up front. Uttara blushed. Subhadra added, " He is very shy with ladies, he has had no younger sisters, maybe that's the reason, tell us did he talk?" She smiled. Last night she had the sweetest of conversations. They had confessed love, and a week earlier, their secret meeting was indeed special.
" Arya told me about the battles and how he fights..."
"That's the only conversation he can make, my son!" The ladies giggled. Hearing their laughter both father and son turned back. Their eyes met for a short moment. Arjun told his son, " That giggle my son is when they talk of us, always remember." The father-son duo shared a light moment.

The chariots pulled up in a clearing. The servants made preparations for a meal, the men rested, and the women supervised the cooking. She was made to sit in the tent. Her companion was his father's first wife Panchali. They were talking about their memories from Viratnagar. Abhimanyu came in startled at the sight of Panchali. His elder mother smiled. Young love, she remembered her first trip with Arjun as his wife. She stood up. " I should go find Subhadra, she needs to rest too. Abhimanyu you too rest a little in the sheds of the tent." Like an obedient child, Abhimanyu sat down in the ashan neat doorway, steps away from his bride. As Panchali walked out he let out a sigh looked at his young bride and gushed, " I didn't know Jesth Maata was here... I thought you are..."

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" When will we be arriving at Dwarka, Arya?"
" Soon, by nightfall. We will rest a few more hours here as the horses are tired."
" Tell me about Dwarka Arya."
Happy at his wife's question Abhimanyu walked up to her. " Oh you will love it there Uttara, nobody is the king yet there is immense respect for everyone, there are rules and laws, the city is magnificent, and so much peace in the palace. Raani Rukmini maata is very caring and .... " He was rushing with so much information that she laughed. It was not the right behaviour from a wife to laugh at her husband, no wife dared to. But these teenagers were too young for that kind of formality with each other alone. Abhimanyu was not pleased.

Why are you laughing Uttara? I am telling you about Dwarka and you think it is funny? You don't need to know anymore." " No Arya, the way you said... I am sorry." She was scared. What had she done? Angered him? Seeing her face about to cry out of fear he also laughed. " You are so naive Uttara! Do you get scared by this? The daughter of the brave Virat Raaja cries at these mere things?"
" But you were... weren't you angry Arya?"
" No Uttara. I was scaring you. Maha Veer Abhimanyu's wife is so naive and scared?"
His sarcastic smile made her angry. The guard came in to inform them they were called for. Food was served. For the rest of the journey, Panchali suggested to her eldest husband, " Arya, I want to travel with you, let Subhadra go with Arjun and let the new Bride and Groom travel together."
A happy couple shared a smile. As they travelled through the forests, he said, " The Princess of Matsya seems to be very quiet now."
"I am not the princess of Matsya, Arya."
" Who are you then?"
" Abhimanyu patni Kuru Samragni Uttara."

Abhimanyu Uttara before the war
Pic: Wikipedia

Abhimanyu looked at his childish wife looking away from him. This was the girl he did not want to marry for the impending wars. Such was her childish innocence and naive ways it scared him. He was in love with his bride yet he knew her for only a week and three meetings. There was a battle coming and he wanted to prove his worth. He wanted to show his father his skills with the arrow. There was danger and uncertainty. Was she strong enough to take the worse?

Looking away she was lost in her thoughts. He was indeed a brave warrior. She had heard stories of his excellent archery. But for her, he was the polite groom who looked into her eyes with love and smiled shyly. The rules of marriage were still not prevalent between them and they were just in love. She knew his thoughts. His eyes and expressions said what he thought. He thought of her existence rather than his life. He feared her survival rather than his own.

The silent journey ended in Dwarka with a grand welcome to the new bride. People flocked to the streets to catch a glimpse of them as Abhimanyu comfortably waved to the crowd. The homecoming rituals were performed by Subhadra and Draupadi and Rukmini greeted the new bride and took her to her husband's chambers.

That night after a grand feast and merry-making the elders sat down to decide that Vasudeva should go to Hastinapur with peace offerings in an attempt to stop the wars. Abhimanyu went to his new bride who was waiting for him. " What is wrong Arya?"
" Tatshri is sending a peace offering to Hastinapura hoping for the war to stop."
" That is good news, Arya, I am so..."
" No Uttara, I am not happy."
" But why Arya?"
" Those people need to be punished for what they did to Jesht Maata."
" I know Arya, but wars, lives lost, families..."
" I am ready to die for the cause."
" Arya!!"
His bride was in tears with the thought. " Never talk of death again, Yama hears us."
" Does he? There is nothing more honourable for a warrior than death in a war Uttara."

Conversation Scene: Mahabharat Star Plus

" What about a husband? A son?"
" Country and justice are above all."
Uttara became worried quite. Abhimanyu held her close.
" A warrior's wife always encourages him to fight. She does not fear death. Be the wife of a warrior"
" I can die for you Arya but..."
" shhh.... enough talking about deaths for a day! let's enjoy the time we have together before the war shall we?"
" Tomorrow I want to see Dwarka. "
" Yes I will seek Mother's permission and take you out, I l show you what I can do with the arrow... Now enough worries..."

That night the teenage kids became man and wife. A sixteen-year-old boy and his fifteen-year-old bride, who had a life ahead filled with dreams and aspirations matured just a week into their marriage. Their thoughts and fears, bravery and ideology made them great at that little age. Myths made them immortal. History witnessed their sacrifices. Abhimanyu and Uttara become immortal through sacrifices and bravery on the battlefield and off it, in the biggest family feud in history witnessed.

This is a story of fiction with no resemblance to the scenes in the pictures or the real portions of the epic. It is a story written in an attempt to prove the greatness of this teenage couple in the epic.

The Queen of Mewar

There have been many versions, folktales and local stories in Rajputana on their Kings and Queens. None of these versions is, however, historical as history only mentions her as wife to Maharana Pratap, his consort and Queen Mother to Amar Singh. She was busy making a garland when Ratnawati rushed inside, hardly able to breathe. Concerned, the elder sister stopped her work and looked at her panting young sibling. " What is it? What's wrong?" "Jija maa sa is not letting me go to the haat mela alone. Please come with me, I need to buy some bangles." The spoiled younger one pleaded. " Wait, let me do my aarti first, then we can go." The reluctant Ratnawati sat down impatiently. In another room, their mother was helping their father get ready for the day. He was the Samant of Bijolia, the representative of the Rana of Mewar. Throughout the day he had to deal with administrative problems in Bijolia and give people justice, but today he had something...

The Queen Mother of Mewar

Let me start by saying, this is a representation of history and folklore in my own words, trying to show how great a soul this lady was. And let me start with a line here. “Naari Ki Balidaano Ko Sadev Bhulta Aya hai Itihas.” Yes, most women lay forgotten in the pages of history, only alive through the folklore and local tales that fail to reach the pages of books due to a lack of historical evidence. Their names don’t remain, but their haunting hand prints on the fort walls before Jauhar, their names on inscriptions as daughter, wife and mother, often make us wonder, who were they, how were they and how were their lives! Historically, the only thing we know about Maharani Jaivanta Bai Songara, princess of Jallore and queen of Mewar is that she was the first queen of Rana Udai Singh II, the mother of most probably her only son Maharana Pratap and daughter of ally of Rana Sanga, Akshay Raj of Jallore. Apart from that her entire life has no historical existence and is spun on ...

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 lead...

The Princess of Marwar

Historically we know nothing about Phool Bai Rathore except that she was the daughter of Ram Singh Rathore, granddaughter of Raja Maldeo Rathore and fifth wife of Maharana Pratap. There is no historical evidence of Akbar's alliance with her in particular however Maldeo did give his granddaughters in a marriage alliance with Mughals and other major dynasties. Phool Kanwar's cousin Maanwati Bai (Better known as Jodha Bai or Jagat Gossain) married Salim, Akbar's son and later emperor Jahangir. The Princess was in her chambers. The Mehrgarh Fort was in a quiet dark state and everyone feared what lay ahead. The men of the Rathore clan had gone to ally with the Mughal emperor Akbar. Rao Maldeo had decided that it was the only way to save Marwar's future. His second son Udai and youngest one Chandrasen supported his decision to save the country. But his heir and firstborn Ram Singh Rathore was a rebel. He was not going to bow down before the Mughals and lose his dignity. A...

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

The Navroz Incident

This popular folklore has been recreated from Col, James Todd's Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan. Names I have added, from my own historical research. This one is especially for Garima to thank her for the books and love! Yet another Veer Gatha from the dessert! Ps. This is folklore with no evidence of history, please remember that Bikaner, lying in the western part of the Thar, was a small yet independent state ruled by a clan of Marwari Rathores until Raja Kalyanmal surrendered to Akbar's Rajput Policies in 1571. His fourth son Prithviraj Rathore, being a great warrior and poet was respected as one of the "Nine Gems" in Emperor Akbar's court. Prithviraj, was the son of Kalyanmal's first wife and queen Rani Songaribai Rainawati, a cousin of Maharani Jaiwanta Bai of Mewar. Hence he was cousin to the valiant Pratap Singh of Mewar. He was also married to one of Rana Udai Singh of Mewar's daughters from his other wives, sister to Kunwar Pratap, Baisa Ja...

Symphony of Love

A week was enough for the master to be pleased enough with the new student to tell the Sultan that she was ready for her first performance. The Sultan was extremely pleased and rewarded him with a gold chain. As the master bowed to leave, the guards announced the arrival of the chief queen. Sultan Baz Bahadur sat upright. She was his first bride, a childhood alliance his father had forced upon him when he did not even know what marriages implied. Now he only saw her face when she had complaints about the inner palace and its inhabitants. Honestly, he expected her there since Roopmati arrived. His queen did not like changes especially if those changes were threatening to her position. The Chief Queen arrived with her maids, dismissed them at the threshold and came up to her husband to bow and greet him. “What brings you here?” Baz Bahadur asked, with a lingering smile on his lips. The queen could hear the hint of taunt in his voice. She forced a smile. Her marriage to this reckles...

The Warrior Bride

Kelwa/Kailwa is a small village situated around two hours away from Chittorgarh and an hour from Lake Pichola. It was mainly inhabited by the Rathores and ruled by the Chundawat clan, who were once the rulers of Mewar. One chief of Kelwa, was Rawat Sihaji Singh Chundawat. He was a very close ally of Rana Sanga. His son Jaga Singhji too died fighting for Rana Udai Singhji in one war with the Afghans in 1555 AD. Kelwa’s heir was the minor child of Jaga Singhji and his widow Sajjan Bai Songara Chauhan. Being from the clan of the Chauhan Rajputs, she was a warrior at heart. From the early age of about four, her only son was brought up under his uncle Naga Singhji, to fight for his motherland and serve it like all other Mewaris. Fatta (Patta), as fondly called by everyone was a deft warrior even before he reached his teens. His name and bravery spread across the land, to Rana Udai Singh’s ears in Chittorgarh. He was also the nephew to Ranaji’s close aide Rawat Chundawatji. Upon the order of...

Kalbhoj: The Legend of Bappa Rawal

The Historical fiction is woven mainly from folklore from James Todd's semi-historical book. However, a very vague historical presence is found in Bhojraj the first king of Mewar. The year was 713AD. The Maurya decedents, Moris ruled over the Chitrakut area of west Rajasthan. The areas around Chitrakoot were ruled by many small Chieftains. One of them was Rawal Mahendra II a Guhilot descendent. (The decendent of Guha and Nagaditya) As most power struggles suggest, one of his ministers betrayed and killed him and made himself Rawal. Once, Kalbhoj was in the forests near Nagda close to the borders of the Solanki ruler, looking after his herds. The youngest Solankhini princess was out in the forest playing with her Sakhis. They were making failed attempts to make a Jhula on a banyan tree. Kalbhoj was watching them try when one of the Sakhis spotted him. Witty and charming he always grabbed everyone's attention. Mahendra II had two wives, his first being a Paramara princess from Mt...

Chittorgarh: The First Jauhar

Jauhar is the process a Rajutani welcomes, by jumping into the fire altar, invoking the Gods, and choosing death over dishonour when their men lose battles and the enemies come for a siege. It is the most honourable death a Rajputani can have and unlike Sati, it is not forced upon them or compulsory. Jauhar Gate The Chittorgarh Fort once had the palace of Rana Ratan Singh near the location of the Vijay Stambh and his Jal Mahal at the end of the fort near the main Pol. When Allauddin Khilji invaded Chittor everything was destroyed but later, kings who came, rebuild the Jal Mahal and reestablished the Jauhar Sthal in honour of Queen Padmavati, or Padmini. Rawal Ratan Singh ruled Mewar when Allauddin Khilji was the Sultan of Delhi. He was a peace-loving man who spend most of his time indulging in the music and poems of his courtiers. One such Courtier was Raghav Chetan who worked as a spy for Khilji. Jal Mahal Entrance Ratan Singh had 15 queens and 19 sons the chief one being his 15t...

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