A Journey To Discover Life

One Individual may die for an idea, but that idea will, after his death, incarnate itself in a thousand lives. Men, money, and materials cannot by themselves bring victory or freedom. We must have the motive power that will inspire us to do brave deeds and heroic exploits.  ~ Subhash Chandra Bose  Subhash Chandra Bose, born on 23rd January 1897 in Cuttack, Orissa, was the son of a famous Advocate, Sri Janakinath Bose and Prabhavati Devi. Ever since his school days, Subhas had witnessed the national freedom movement closely because his elder brother Sarat Chandra Bose was closely associated with the movement in Bengal. After having an urge to find answers to many questions in life, perhaps drawn to the life and work of Swami Vivekananda, Subhas, along with two friends, went across the length and breadth of India. Bose, in his own words, expressed that he was unable to find a single guide or "Guru" to answer his questions. The Vedanta ideology that inspired Bose to ask question...

Note: This piece is a work of fiction based on folklore and the Prithviraj Raso, an epic saga by Chand Bardai, who happened to be the court poet of Prithviraj Chauhan. The dates corresponding to wars, names of people and places are, however, historically fact-checked from various sources, including the works of Todd (semi-historical), The  Amir Khusrau and contemporary sources like R.C.Majumder. The incidents are fictionally woven. Around the year 1140 A.D., Ajmer was ruled by Anangpal of the Tomara Dynasty. Delhi was the seat of power of the Sultanate, which was a constant power struggle for them. He managed to capture most parts of west Rajputana briefly, and present-day Haryana and Punjab were also part of his kingdom. The old king had a son and two daughters. His concern grew as his son Surya was not talented enough to rule Ajmer. His youngest daughter, Princess Karpuri Devi, was married to Someshwar Chauhan of the famous Chauhan clan. Their son, Rai Pithora, helped his materna...

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...

Since time immemorial, the Indian Subcontinent has witnessed many great battles, dynasties and eras. The most prominent rulers of the medieval age happen to be the Mughals or Timurids. Originally from Samarkand and Fergana, Babur, the chief of the small army that introduced gunpowder and cannons in the field of Panipat, was originally hired by the rulers of the subcontinent to oust Sultan Ibrahim Lodi from the throne of Delhi. Once Babar acquired Delhi and declared himself the emperor, there started a never-ending battle started between the native rulers and his army. Rana Sanga of Mewar  started to oppose Babar, as one of his strongest opponents, the most famous battle being the  Battle of Khanua,  where he finally won. Rana Uday Singh, Rana Pratap and others followed in his footsteps as Guardians of Mewar. The   Jauhar  (self-sacrifice of women to save their dignity from the invaders) happened thrice in the  Chittorgarh  Fort, the Capital of Mewar, w...

The Rajputs were a group of brave and disciplined men and women. While the other Hindu Rulers surrendered to the Mughal Emperors and were attacked by the Afghans, they fought to keep their land and forts independent of these rulers. Many wars left their marks on the walls of the Rajputana Forts, and many stories became household tales of bravery in India. The forts of Chittor, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer... The battles of Haldighat, the love of Prithviraj and Sanyukta, and the Bhakti of Meera Bai are all now part of the folklore of India. Amidst these fairytale-like stories of princes and Princesses, Love and Patriotism, there lie tales of horror. Families lost in wars, kings brutally murdered, jealous step-brothers joining the enemy forces, princesses forced into marriage for political alliances and above all, the horrible scenes of Jauhar.  The ancient tradition of committing Sati in the husband's pyre is very commonly known. Jauhar was a speciality in Rajputana. When the army of the fort...

He grew up in the care of his grandparents, being the sole heir to the throne. He was a great warrior, skilled with the Bow like his grandfather , Arjun  and the sword like his father,  Abhimanyu . The  Raaj Guru Kripacharya  trained him in warfare. His mother,  Uttara,  told him stories of the father he never knew, how valiant a warrior he was and how their struggle for this kingdom was the greatest battle ever fought. He loved to hunt and often indulged in hunting expeditions encouraged by his grandparents. At 35, he was made the king while his Grandfather and his brothers retired from the cycle of responsibilities and decided to live in a hermitage. His mother and grandmother stayed back to help him rule the vast kingdom. The first king of the new era was thus crowned. As king, he started his peaceful reign. He called upon the sages and the  Kul Guru Vyas Dev  to start the new yug with something very important.  " Guruji, I want you to rea...