Adherence of Immortal Love

Few days back my brother got his books for new session in school. He was very excited about everything and was placing all the books neatly in his bookrack. I picked up one of his English book and started scanning it for something interesting. One of the chapters was about The Chittaurgarh Fort in Rajasthan. Chittaugarh Fort is a living testimony of the bravery of the great Rajput rulers who laid down their life fighting a superior enemy instead of leading a life of submission was the first line of the chapter. But I was amazed learning the legend behind it; after doing a little Google on Chittaurgarh Fort, I would say there is an immortal love story of a king (Rana Rawal Ratan Singh) and a beautiful queen (Rani Padmini).

Rani Padmini was a regal beauty and no one could deny that. When Ala-ud-din Khilji, the ruler of Delhi, heard of Padmini’s beauty, he requested Rana Rattan Singh for a Glimpse of the queen. However, the Sultan was permitted to see only the reflection of the queen from water reservoir that overlooked the palace. Ala-ud-din was carried away by Padmini’s beauty and thought of attacking Chittor in order to possess her.
Rana accompanied him due to courtesy to gates of fort after he saw the reflection of Padmini. Rana was dishonestly arrested and kept as hostage for Padmini.

As per Padmini's plan, misleading information was sent to Alluddin that Padmini had decided to come to Ala-ud-din, but as her status demanded, she was to come with 700 women. Alla-ud-din agreed to this. The Rajputs were thus able to infiltrate about 2000 men into Alla-ud-din's camp. Each Palaqi (Palanquin) contained two Rajput soldiers and four men to lift it. Gora and Badal were leading this team. Ala ud din was told that Padmini desired a last interview with her husband and he agreed. The Rajputs were thus able to transport Ratan Singh to safety and make a fool out of the Khilji king. It was victory of love over conceit.

Beaten, Ala ud din returned to Delhi to come back better equipped early the next year. This time the Rajputs were out of luck and perished on the battlefield while their womenfolk, led by Maharani Padmini, performed Jauhar(voluntary death on a funeral pyre of the queens and royal womenfolk in order to avoid capture and dishonour at the hands of enemies). In particular, the sieges of Chittor, its brave defence by the Guhilas, the saga of Rani Padmini and the Jauhar she led are the legendary.


A big water reservoir with water gushing out of a rock shaped in the form of cow’s mouth called ‘ Gaumukh’ is close to the opening of the cave where Rani Padmini and the other women are believed to have performed jauhar . It still speaks of the sacrifice of a woman and her love.

The courage as well as self-respect of the queen is really acclaimed and inspite of sacrificing one’s mortal body to fire, she lived immortal signifying the rightness and bravery of Indian woman ….