The guide is at his eloquent best. He moves effortlessly in and out of the stories involving the principal characters- Rana Kumbha, Rana Saanga and Rana Pratap. I wish I had read my high school history well. I wish I had read the Amar Chitra Katha comic strips atleast before this trip.
We are at the Kumbhalgad ("garh" is pronounced as "gad") fort. It's biting cold...chilling to the bone. Low clouds hug the upper reaches of the fort. The mist hangs heavy and leaves a tiny spray on the spectacles. The jackets and scarves and monkey-caps seem woefully inadequate...as a gust of wind hits the face...and turns it white and numb. It does not matter...the stories of the Ranas is more benumbing!
Rana Kumbha just could not begin the construction to this fort. Whatever little was built collapsed the very next day. This pattern continued. Rana Kumbha sought the help of Kumbh Mehr baba. Baba told him that the problem could be solved only if someone sacrificed his own body- it required a "nar bali". Rana Kumbha was shocked. "But..but..there is no one in the whole of Mevaad who would willingly give up his life!" Rana Kumbha lamented. Mehr baba made the ultimate sacrifice. He told the king to cut off his own head. And wherever the body fell, that's where he should begin the construction of the fort.
"This is where Mehr baba's head was cut!" the guide points to a shrine at the bottom of the fort. And 20 minutes later, at another shrine inside the fort premises, "And..this is where the headless body travelled on its own and fell! And starting here, Rana Kumbha built this entire fort! It is 36 km in circumference...second only to the great wall of China!" the guide gushes.
The fort is called Kumbhalgad in memory of Rana Kumbha as well as "Kumbh Mehr baba". Rana Kumbha went on to build 32 forts in the Mevaad region. Sadly, Rana Kumbha was killed by his own son in the feud for the succession to the throne.
When we talk about Mevaad, we refer to the region encompassing Chittor, Udaipur and Kumbhalgad. Chittor was the original captial of the kings of Mevaad. Chittor was the place where that painful episode unfolded....where Queen Padmini gave up her own life ("jauhar") than being captured by Allauddin Khilji. But that story is a couple of hundred years before the time of the Ranas.
Apart from "Mevaad", Rajasthan had 4 other kingdoms- "maarvaad" (desert region with Jodhpur as the capital), "shekhaavaati" (Jaipur region), "mewati" and "hadoti". Of course, we restrict our story to the kings of Mevaad.
After Rana Kumbha, came Rana Saanga. Rana Saanga lost one eye during his childhood. In the war with the mughal emperor Babur, he lost one arm and one leg. Still, he continued to fight and eventually lost his life in battle.
Next came....Maha Rana Pratap. He was born at Kumbhalgad fort. He crossed swords with the Mughal king Akbar and not once...not once did he bow down to Akbar's suzereinty. In the battle of Haldighati, Rana Pratap was severely wounded. But his horse "chetak" helped him escape even at the cost of losing its own life. This incident is of course part of India's immortal folklore.
Intrerestingly, when Akbar attacked Rana Pratap, Akbar's commander-in-chief was Raja Mansingh I, who was the King of Jaipur. Akbar wanted Rana Pratap captured alive. It never happened.
Rana Pratap died at the age of 57. The "good news" reached Akbar that his sworn enemy was no more. Akbar, apparently shed tears and said that Rana Pratap couldn't die. He had become immortal.
The story is rivetting. How much heroism and spirit of sacrifice filled these kings? We look at our own lives in contrast...and wonder how pedestrian a life...we lead!
"Bolo maha rana pratap ki"....shouts one of the members in the group. There is a lukewarm response of "jai" from the audience. "Arey....at least you can shout "jai" with more vigour and enthusiasm!! You don't have even that much strength?" the man chides us. He is right!!
We are at the Kumbhalgad ("garh" is pronounced as "gad") fort. It's biting cold...chilling to the bone. Low clouds hug the upper reaches of the fort. The mist hangs heavy and leaves a tiny spray on the spectacles. The jackets and scarves and monkey-caps seem woefully inadequate...as a gust of wind hits the face...and turns it white and numb. It does not matter...the stories of the Ranas is more benumbing!
Rana Kumbha just could not begin the construction to this fort. Whatever little was built collapsed the very next day. This pattern continued. Rana Kumbha sought the help of Kumbh Mehr baba. Baba told him that the problem could be solved only if someone sacrificed his own body- it required a "nar bali". Rana Kumbha was shocked. "But..but..there is no one in the whole of Mevaad who would willingly give up his life!" Rana Kumbha lamented. Mehr baba made the ultimate sacrifice. He told the king to cut off his own head. And wherever the body fell, that's where he should begin the construction of the fort.
"This is where Mehr baba's head was cut!" the guide points to a shrine at the bottom of the fort. And 20 minutes later, at another shrine inside the fort premises, "And..this is where the headless body travelled on its own and fell! And starting here, Rana Kumbha built this entire fort! It is 36 km in circumference...second only to the great wall of China!" the guide gushes.
The fort is called Kumbhalgad in memory of Rana Kumbha as well as "Kumbh Mehr baba". Rana Kumbha went on to build 32 forts in the Mevaad region. Sadly, Rana Kumbha was killed by his own son in the feud for the succession to the throne.
When we talk about Mevaad, we refer to the region encompassing Chittor, Udaipur and Kumbhalgad. Chittor was the original captial of the kings of Mevaad. Chittor was the place where that painful episode unfolded....where Queen Padmini gave up her own life ("jauhar") than being captured by Allauddin Khilji. But that story is a couple of hundred years before the time of the Ranas.
Apart from "Mevaad", Rajasthan had 4 other kingdoms- "maarvaad" (desert region with Jodhpur as the capital), "shekhaavaati" (Jaipur region), "mewati" and "hadoti". Of course, we restrict our story to the kings of Mevaad.
After Rana Kumbha, came Rana Saanga. Rana Saanga lost one eye during his childhood. In the war with the mughal emperor Babur, he lost one arm and one leg. Still, he continued to fight and eventually lost his life in battle.
Next came....Maha Rana Pratap. He was born at Kumbhalgad fort. He crossed swords with the Mughal king Akbar and not once...not once did he bow down to Akbar's suzereinty. In the battle of Haldighati, Rana Pratap was severely wounded. But his horse "chetak" helped him escape even at the cost of losing its own life. This incident is of course part of India's immortal folklore.
Intrerestingly, when Akbar attacked Rana Pratap, Akbar's commander-in-chief was Raja Mansingh I, who was the King of Jaipur. Akbar wanted Rana Pratap captured alive. It never happened.
Rana Pratap died at the age of 57. The "good news" reached Akbar that his sworn enemy was no more. Akbar, apparently shed tears and said that Rana Pratap couldn't die. He had become immortal.
The story is rivetting. How much heroism and spirit of sacrifice filled these kings? We look at our own lives in contrast...and wonder how pedestrian a life...we lead!
"Bolo maha rana pratap ki"....shouts one of the members in the group. There is a lukewarm response of "jai" from the audience. "Arey....at least you can shout "jai" with more vigour and enthusiasm!! You don't have even that much strength?" the man chides us. He is right!!
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