The year was 1290 . A crowd had gathered around a clearing, where broken down pillars marked the presence of an ancient temple, now long gone. A young boy, just 14 years old, leaned against one of those pillars, deep in thought. Then, he began speaking, and the crowd fell silent, listening to his every word. He spoke without any notes, translating the Bhagavat Gita, from Sanskrit, which only the pundits knew, to the language everyone in the village knew and spoke – a variety of Prakrit which developed into the Marathi language. Even as he spoke, one of the men in the audience realized how momentous this event was, and how important this composition would be. He began writing down the words the young boy spoke, and this composition was named by its author and composer, the Bhavartha Deepika – the enlightening meaning (of the Bhagavat Gita). Now, the ancient, holy text, was no longer restricted to the pundits, but accessible to all, understood easily by them, composed as it was, in their...
Rajasthan is most well known for its beautiful palaces and
forts. The impressive architecture, the intricate detailing, the royal
touch....much has been written about it. However, there is another face of
Rajasthan – that of the Rajputs who fought for their land, for their freedom
from outside influences. Among them, there is no name that shines brighter than
that of Maharana Pratap.
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| Maharana Pratap... from the museum at Haldighati |
Maharana Pratap was the eldest son of the Mewar King, Udai
Singh. Though he was the crown prince, he had to live amidst the mountains,
hidden from enemies. His star eventually rose, and he ascended the throne,
though only symbolically, for he was fated to spend the greater part of his
life living rough in the heart of the Aravalli ranges. His greatest triumph was
a battle no one believed he would survive. As it happened, he did not win, but
neither did he lose. He managed to strike terror in the heart of the enemy,
and, till the end, refused to bow before the might of the Mughal Empire. So
effective was he, that the Mughals actually retreated from the area he reigned
over.
Maharana Pratap was a scion of the royal family of Mewar,
and it is in Mewar that he is most remembered. It is impossible to visit the
region, and not remember him. Let me take you along on a tour of some of the
places associated with the legendary Maharana.
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| Kumbhalgarh Fort |
Kumbhalgarh – the fortress bearing the name of one of the
greatest rulers of Mewar – Maharana Kumbha, was also the birthplace of Maharana
Pratap. That two such personalities should be so intimately connected with the
fort shows its importance as well as its strength. Kumbhalgarh is most well
known for its long wall – which is said to be second only to the Great Wall of
China, and extends over 36 Km. Most of the wall is intact, and is built in such
a way that it’s almost impossible to climb from the outside. At the top, it is
wide enough for 4 horses to ride side by side!
At one time, the fort had over 360 temples within its walls,
both Jain as well as Hindu temples. Today, little remains of this heritage, but
a few temples and ruins of others. The palace itself is in ruins, but the
women’s quarter, where Maharana Pratap was born on the 9th of May,
1540, has a board informing us of the fact.
Kumbhalgarh is about
60 Km from Udaipur. There are a few resorts near the fort, but it is easier to
do a day trip from Udaipur.
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| Ruins at Chittorgarh |
Though born at Kumbhalgarh, Pratap spent most of his life at
Chittor. Chittorgarh, like Kumbhalgarh, owes much of its construction and
strength to Maharana Kumbha. However, unlike Kumbhalgarh, it was attacked
repeatedly by the Mughals. It witnessed not only victory and defeat, but it
also witnessed the ultimate sacrifice when defeat was imminent – self
immolation by women who did not want to be captured and misused by the Mughals
– known as the Johar. Chittor witnessed not one, but three such Johars over
several generations. It was during one such losing battle that Maharana Pratap
was smuggled away with the king to the forests in the heart of the Aravalli
ranges, which set the tone for the rest of his life.
Chittorgarh is about
113 Km from Udaipur. There are plenty of hotels in the area, and it is worth a
stay, to attend the sound and light show held in the fort complex every
evening.
- Gogunda
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| Model of Mandap at Gogunda... from the Maharana Pratap Museum at Haldighati |
Today, Gogunda is a small town near Udaipur, but about 500
years ago, it must have been a thick forest. It was to Gogunda that Maharana
Pratap and Udai Singh were brought for safe keeping. It was here that Udai
Singh passed on, and Maharana Pratap was named the ruler of Mewar on the 28th
of February, 1572. The coronation must have been a simple affair, symbolic in
nature, and today, there is just a small mandap or pavilion commemorating the
event. However, a grand celebration is held here every year on the coronation
day.
Gogunda is about 37 Km
from Udaipur and about 20 Km from Haldighati. There isn’t much to see, except
during the festival time. It can be combined with a day trip to Haldighati.
- Haldighati
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| Haldighati |
Haldighati – the turmeric coloured pass – is a name
synonymous with Maharana Pratap and his horse, Chetak. This is where, on 21st
June, 1576, the guerrilla army led by Maharana Pratap, met the massive Mughal
army, for a battle which is remembered even centuries later. The battle was
marked by the impressive bravery shown by the tribals and Rajputs led by
Maharana Pratap. The battle was inconclusive, as neither side won, but the
horse, Chetak, was the true hero of the battle. When the Maharana was injured,
the horse, in spite of his own injuries, managed to get his master to safety
before succumbing to his wounds. A memorial to Chetak, as well as museum
dedicated to the battle keep memories of this famous battle alive.
Haldighati is about 40
Km from Udaipur. The best way to visit it is to make a day trip by car.
- Chawand
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| A model of the memorial at Chawand - from the museum at Haldighati |
After the battle of Haldighati, the Mughals never attacked
the Maharana on such a large scale. There were regular minor skirmishes, during
which the guerrilla warriors had the upper hand, since they knew the mountains
much better. They gave the Mughals a hard time, who eventually left the
Maharana and his people alone. Though Maharana Pratap managed to capture back
some parts of Mewar from the Mughals, he could never free the entire land from
their influence. Since he had vowed not to live a comfortable and royal
lifestyle while his land was ruled by invaders, he spent the rest of his life
amidst the Aravallis as before, shifting from one place to another. He breathed
his last at Chawand, on the 19th of January, 1597. A memorial
commemorating him stands here today.
Chawand is located
about 60 Km from Udaipur.
All these places are
located around Udaipur, and it is best to visit them, keeping Udaipur as a
base.
This post was originally published on the Club Mahindra Blog.
Loved your article. Been there just few months ago, I could totally relate to it. Loved it. If you want, you could read my post on Udaipur
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Himanshu Nagpal | Being Traveler
Thanks Himanshu!I did read your post on Udaipur, tho i dont remember if i commented on it
DeleteNice article. Went there last year December. Missed Haldighati but heard its a huge battlefield. Good to read it here.
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Alankar Chandra | Imprints in Color
Thanks Alankar! and you should go to Haldighati sometime. its nothing like a battlefield, but chilling to think of the battle being held amidst these hills.
DeleteDuring my recent trip to Rajasthan, I found it fascinating that Maharana Pratap is not even mentioned in the Marwar region and when you cross the Aravallis into the Mewar region it is only about him and nothing else :-)
ReplyDeleteI visited Kumbhalgarh, Chittorgarh and his memorial in Udaipur and it is hard not to remember school history and also wonder why he is not talked about so much these days. Yes, I know a serial has begun just yesterday, but they have been using backdrops of the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur for the promos, a place that the Maharana almost certainly did not visit !
you are so right, Sudha!!! its almost like they are still different countries, not just districts...as to the serial, dont get me started... i really doubt he dressed like that, with the kind of financial troubles he faced...
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