Uttara's Marriage

In the palace gardens at Dwarka, ladies of the house were gathered. They were picking flowers and gossiping. Subhadra and Panchali sat in a corner away from these ladies, gossiping, worried. They were awaiting a reply from Hastinapur. They have sent peace offerings, hoping no war would happen. They feared the destruction that the war promised.

Their newly married daughter-in-law came up, and they forced smiles on their faces. She, who was brought into their lives with promises of happiness, should not be touched by their worldly worries.

" How was your trip through Dwarka Uttara?"

"It's a beautiful city, Mata."

" Yes, my brother planned it himself. Didn't he, Jiji?" the proud Subhadra lamented.

" Where is he?" Panchali asked, ignoring her favourite husband's younger wife's childishness. " Where is my son?"

" He is in the fields practising archery, Jesth Mata..."

" He did not escort you to the Andarmahal? Dashi!!!"

" Yes, Samraggi."

" Send for Abhimanyu, say I call him before me at once!"

" Arya is practising Jesth Mata, it's all right, I found my way." The young bride was defending her husband's mistake.

" No, you are new here, you are his responsibility, you should be safely led to the inner palace by him; we have enemies everywhere."

She was sitting on the palace balcony overlooking the ocean when he rushed in. The maids bowed.

" Ekanth!"

" Arya, I thought you were..."

" You told Jesth Mata..."

" No Arya, I..."

" Don't you know how important practising archery is to us now? The war... I gave you all morning..."

" Arya, I didn't..." Her eyes shone. Tears, fear. She had disappointed him.

He was taken aback. " Why do you cry if I scold you? I talk like this with my brothers, they don't even bother!"

Uttara and Abhimanyu

" I feel scared of disappointing you." He couldn't stop his laughter.

" My naive Uttara! You are such a child! You are scared of me? Enemies should be scared."

" Arya, you were so angry, I was scared."

" You cry at these, and what will you do when the war starts?"

His bride looked clueless at him, a teardrop on her cheeks. He wiped it away and drew her close.

" Once the war begins, we fight with death every day, our families die before our eyes, one day I might just lose the battle with Yama..."

" Arya, don't you say that again!"

" Uttara, I am just..."

" Don't! If something happens to you, I am going with you!"

" Princess of Matsya, don't you dare say that again!"

They shared a silent glare. They were ready for the war.

The palace Vaidya was called for in the tents of Kurukshetra. The war was about to begin, and the parties of either side were setting up camp in the fields. The warriors had moved there. The Pandavas were settled in their tents with their family. The Princess of Matsya, wife of a Maharathi, was reportedly ill. Her mothers - in - law was in the tent attending to her as she lay unconscious. The Pandavas and her husband waited outside.

The Vaidya came out with the Queens, and Panchali turned to Abhimanyu.

" You can go in now, her consciousness is back."

Worried, he rushed into his wife's tent, not hearing what the Vaidya told the elders. She was alone, looking frail and half-seated in the makeshift bed.

"Arya!" She hurried to get up, but he stopped her.

" Stay there, Uttara! Don't get up. You are weak, what's wrong?"

" You did not hear the Vaidya? "

" No, I was so scared and worried that I..."

" Arya? Maharathi Abhimanyu is scared? Did I hear it right?" She giggled sarcastically as she took his name unaware for the first time, and his worried face smiled.

"Princess of Matsya! Nobody taught you not to take your husband's name? You are making fun of me?" Her smile disappeared as he couldn't hold his serious face, and they both laughed.

" Tell me what the Vaidya said, will you? Or should I go to the battlefields after a few days, worried that you may faint?"

" Hear it from the elders, Arya!"

" Tell me. Your husband commands you. What is wrong?"

A long pause. She gave a smile and turned pink.

" You are going to be Father Arya!"

" What?!"

" Vaidya ji said I am pregnant."

" Oh, Uttara! You gave me the happiest news of my life!" He hugged his wife in joy.

" Now I will fight more bravely to win this war for our family. You will teach her dancing like Father taught you"

" No, you will teach him archery like you."

The husband and wife spend the night arguing about the baby. Abhimanyu dreamt of playing with his baby, and Uttara smiled, looking at them. Her happy face. Their happy family.

The Pandavas rejoiced in the coming of the future generation. The one who would be born valiant like his father and graceful like his mother. They held a grand feast. Amidst destruction, there was creation. Amidst death, new life.

Krishna sat in a corner at this merry feast. Panchali walked up to him.

" What is wrong, Madhav?"

" What is it to not know a father, Panchali?" It was his strange talk again.

" What? Who are you talking about?"

" You know, Panchali, even God can't stop a few things, like birth, death and time. With good times come bad ones. History remembers the bad ones!"

" I don't understand you sometimes. What do you say and why do you say things?!"

Krishna set his eyes at a distance. Away from the crowd, Arjunputra was talking to his wife. Two teenagers in love, eyes full of hopes and dreams, and Krishna looked away. Sometimes it was a curse knowing things. Today was one such day. He walked back into the crowd with Panchali, the ever-smiling Krishna, hiding the harsh future in his smile.

The original texts of Jaya and references mostly suggest that Abhimanyu did not know his wife was pregnant. However, some later translations put forward the idea that he did know.

Chittorgarh: The First Jauhar

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...

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...

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...

Battle of Haldighati

There have been a lot of talks going on regarding who won the Battle of Haldighati. While some want to change what we read and say that the Maharana won it, many oppose the point with a Mughal victory. Here, I compile every account I found of the Battle and its Aftermath and make my unbiased conclusion on the topic. PS. The dates vary from book to book; I gave the ones I found in most sources. The Background: Relation with Mughals Mewar was one of Rajputana's strongest individual kingdoms, along with the likes of Marwar and Kacchawar (Jaipur). Long before the Mughals under Akbar, Mewar under Rana Sangram Singh had successfully managed to keep the "Turk Invaders" under Babar at bay, fighting 17 wars, big and small. The relationship was further questioned when, during the invasion from Saurashtra, Sanga's widow, Rani Karnavati, had written to Mughal Emperor Humayun for help, sending him a rakhi. Contrary to popular belief, Humayun had rested on his way from Gaur (Beng...

Shikhandi: A Tale of Identity and Revenge

Hastinapur was the most powerful empire in the north of the Vindyas, in the subcontinent once ruled by King Bharata. When its long-reigning and prosperous king Shantanu passed away in old age, he left behind his ambitious wife Satyabati, her two sons, Chitrangad and Bichitravirjaya and his first surviving son from his first wife Ganga, Devabrata, who took the lifelong oath of not being king nor marrying or having any progeny and hence earned the name Bhishma. When Chitrangad was about to ascend the throne, he died in an unfortunate accident, leaving the minor Bichitravirjaya as the only contender on the throne. Bhishma almost outspokenly took over the role of guardian to the throne of Hastinapur upon this event. However, the rules suggested that the young prince must marry before he could be crowned. Upon hearing of this, Bhishma sent his spies around the subcontinent to find eligible princesses who would not only marry the heir apparent but also be the future queen and queen mother of...

The Cortege That Shook The Raj: Kanailal Dutta

10th November, 1908 Around late morning, a procession of lacs made their way through the streets of Calcutta (Kolkata), India. Some were chanting “Vande Mataram”, others blew conch shells, and Ululation filled the air. Flowers were being showered from all directions, and garlands made their way through the crowd, being thrown at the procession in the middle. Bhagwat Gita and Ananda Math (Novel by Bamkim Chandra) were offered. No, this was no “ Sobha Jatra ” or celebration. There were no religious festivities either. That dawn, the Alipore Jail, which opened only two years back, witnessed the hanging of Kanailal Dutta, a twenty-year-old member of the “Jugantar Dol”, an anarchist group that was set up primarily by Aurobindo Ghosh (Later Rishi Aurobindo), his brother Barindra and their associates. Kanailal hailed from Chandannagore, and although he was not present in most of their meetings in Kolkata, he was still one of their early members from Chandannagore, then a French province. ...

The Garuda Cannon of Krishna Chandra

Maharaja Krishna Chandra was an influential king in Nadia, Bengal, who formed his capital at Krishnanagar. During the preparation of the Battle of Plassey that sealed the deal for British Colonisation in Bengal in 1757, Krishna Chandra was under the Mughals of Delhi, who did not support Bengal Subah Nawab Siraj Ud Daulah in his attack against the British in Calcutta. As a result, he too was vocal against Siraj and supported the British. Siraj ordered for him to be imprisoned for not paying his due taxes to the Nawab, and he found freedom only after Robert Clive and Mir Jafar ousted Siraj by betraying him. Once Krishna Chandra was back in his state, the Mughal emperor, who was now reduced to a puppet of the British, by suggestion of Robert Clive, gifted the king a token of appreciation for his support, a cannon, which the Raja named the Garuda Cannon. What was so special about the cannon? This is the only cannon found in any museum with an inscription in Bengali scripture. Most cannons ...

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...

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...

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...

A Journey To Discover Life

Search This Blog