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Showing posts with the label Rajasthan Folklore

Hada Queen's Sacrifice

What is folklore? They are history and bravery with a lack of proof, and are often lost in people's storytelling due to a lack of proper documentation. The ones who survive make the heroes and villains immortal. Here I have put forward two very popular Rajasthani folklores in a single representation. I have not read these in the current representative form, but have posted them as stories to make them more interesting and to put forward the spirit of the Kshatranis of Rajputana. Rao Ratan Singh of Salumber was the 13 th  Rawat of Salumber, a province that fell under Mewar’s state in the 1660s. His forefathers were the Chundawats who, once in the time of Mokal and Rana Kumbha, had given up their throne for the Sisodia dynasty and were known to serve them with their blood and soul. The Rao was married to a Hada Rajputani, also Rawats under the Mewar rule; the Hadas were not only loyal chieftains but popular princesses to be married to the rulers of Mewar, hailing from Bundi and surro...

Charumati's Love

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

Bhangarh: Legend of a Ghost Town

 The Legend: The city of Bhangarh was made of spectacular structures and wonderful architecture. The Prince of Amber,  Madho Singh, was gifted this city by his Uncle  Bhagwan Das, who was the ruler of Amber. The fort was originally built by Bhagwan Das in 1573A.D. during the rule of Akbar. Madho Singh was a cousin brother to Empress Mariam Ur Zamani (Harka Bai) and a courtier of his Brother-in-law, Akbar. Madho Singh moved into this spectacular city with his family. The fort of Bhangarh was just ahead of Pratap Garh and Ajab Garh, and its large gate was guarded by the Lord Hanuman Dev Temple. The year was 1613AD, Jahangir was the Emperor of the subcontinent. Madho Singh Madho Singh's family and lineage stayed back in the city of 200 households. The Princess of Bhangarh, Ratnavati, was a mesmerising beauty. Such was her beauty that upon entering her late teen marriage proposals flooded from all over Rajputana. Young, competent, and brave Princes and Kings of several kingdo...

Reincarnations of Love

Reincarnation and rebirth are common concepts in every myth and culture of ancient times. The results of a lifetime are the fruits of Karma from the previous life, and your decisions in this life are for the results in the next. All ancient cultures like the Egyptians, Indians and Aryans believed that a man is reborn again and again in the form of new life in his own clan and connects with the same people and lives his mistakes. One who leads a just life and completes the cycle of rebirth gets a place in heaven or hell. It is believed in Hinduism that each husband and wife have the same relation for seven such rebirths. Here, compiled from different folktales, are the different lives of Abhimanyu and his wife, Uttara. Abhimanyu was the son of Arjun, Prince of Hastinapur and Subhadra, sister of Krishna. Uttara was the princess of the Matsya kingdom. Previous Lives: 1. A popular folklore suggests that once Vishnu was going to kill a demon,  Abhikasura , who had caused harm to many. T...

The Rebel Saint

This is a folklore retelling of the life of Meera Bai. Little is known about her historically, except that she was a devotee of Lord Krishna and the granddaughter of Rao Duda of Marwar. Since Rana Sanga was an ally of the king, she was married to the crown prince of Mewar, Bhoj Raj, who unfortunately died in one of the many battles Mewar fought with Babur. After that, her journey from Mewar to Merta to Vrindavan and Dwarka can be traced only with folklore. The palace at  Merta  was buzzing with preparations.   Duda Rao,  the fourth son of  Jodha Rao,  founder of  Jodhpur,  was coming back after a war with his sons. His grandson  Jaimal  was waiting for their sight at the highest balcony of the Palace. There was something at a distance, a procession. Excited, he called out to his cousin's sister. The Princess came running  with her  Sakhi  in tow. " Call Maasa, Lolita, tell her I see a procession." Sakhi Lolita,  still...