• Know about this very interesting book on the Suryavanshi rulers of Rajasthan.

Suryavamshi: The Sun Kings of Rajasthan is a translation of the Bangla classic Raj Kahini by the great painter Abanindranath Tagore and one of the most beloved books for Bengalis for over a century. It tells the stories of the kings of Mewar, supposed to be direct descendants of the Sun God Suryadev—from Shiladitya, the boon-child of Suryadev, and Bappaditya, whose empire stretched till Persia, to Padmini, the princess, and Mirabai, who renounced her kingdom to be with her child god Nanda-lala, and several other stories.

Excerpted from Abanindranath Tagore’s Raj Kahani, translated into English and adapted by Sandipan Deb as Suryavamshi: The Sun Kings of Rajasthan (Juggernaut; Rs 450)

PADMINI

It was night and the utter blackness seemed to have swallowed the whole world, as if the sun, the moon and the stars had all died. Now began the Jauhar of twelve thousand magnificent Rajput women at the temple of the goddess-empress, at the great cremation ground of Chittor.

Right in front of the temple, standing at the mouth of a dark tunnel, Rani Padmini, the most beautiful woman in all of Chittor, started her chant to Agni, the god of fire. ‘O Agni,’ she said, ‘O sacred radiant one, come! Let the darkness of this world be banished by your light. O Agni, the most fierce of all gods, come. You are strength for the powerless and support for the powerful. Come, terrifying one, and take away all our fears and regrets and give us shelter. You, defender of our honour, rescuer of us from all our woes, you, the flame divine, you are the final redeemer of our lives who will liberate us from all shackles and attachments.’ 

Padmini fell silent. Twelve thousand Rajput women danced around the well of fire and sang: ‘He who saves our honour! He who protects us from evil!’ And then, with a great roar, thousands of flames, as if in a state of primal ecstasy, burst forth from the tunnel under that well. The night itself seemed to tremble and shudder in the face of that intense light. 

Along with the twelve thousand Rajput women, Rani Padmini plunged into the well. In the blink of an eye all the lovely faces, all the sweet chatter, all the innocent laughter in every home in Chittor turned to ashes.

A cry rose from deep inside the heart of every Rajput man: ‘Hail the queen, the most virtuous of all!’ Even Alauddin, reclining in his tent at the bottom of the mountain, could hear it. He immediately ordered all his troops to prepare for battle.

To buy book online

Also read

1. About Rana Punja, Bhil Warrior of Mewar 

2. How Forts were made in Mewar

3. Rani Padmini and Alauddin Khilji

4. Album Chittorgarh Fort

5. Album Kumbalgarh Fort   

6. Album Jaisamand Lake