Be it summer, winter or any other season, a saree can be styled in any season in India. The eternal love for a Saree in the hearts of Indian women comes from its rich history; an amalgamation of history & mythology where Sarees are given immense importance in religious, ethnic & spiritual forms.
From the times of Maharani Ourmilla Devi of Jubbal to the 21st century Indian Cinema, women have bestowed & expressed their brilliance in modest styling with the help of Sarees.
As we look back into history, there’s a woman who is fierce, highly educated in battleships and an epitome of Beauty. She is the 13th Century Rani of Mewar - Rani Padmavati. Various Indian subcontinent poets have described her as “The Perfect Woman”. Her beauty was such that even the Goddesses from the court of God Indra envied her. She and the other Padmini Ranis of Chittor were always seen illuminating in beautiful, ancient, precisely-made, Rajasthani Sarees.
The Talking Parrot
Padmavati was the daughter of the King of Sinhala-Dvip, Gandharvsen which is Ceylon, Sri Lanka. She was accompanied by a talking parrot whose name was Hiramani. Soon, seeing his daughter’s obsession with the parrot, the king ordered his soldiers to kill the parrot but it somehow flew away and ended up in the hands of a bird catcher who sold it to a certain Brahmin in India.
On a fortunate day, impressed by his ability to talk, the talking parrot - Hiramani was purchased by the King of Chittor, Rajasthan - Raja Rawal Ratan Singh. As time passed, the parrot started describing the beauty of Rani Padmavati to Rawal Ratan Singh.
The Swayamvar
Padmavati was a well-trained and fearless warrior. She was raised with knowledge of battleship tactics and techniques. A swayamvar was held at the time of her marriage, with numerous Kings and Princes claiming their rightful ownership of her, but this was no ordinary swayamvar.
Whoever conquered the assigned warrior in the sword battle, meanwhile, might marry her. Nobody realised it was Rani Padmavati herself in disguise. She fought and was defeated by King Rawal Ratan Singh of Chittor, whom she agreed to marry.
The Bravery & Dignity of Rajputs
Rajput King Rawal Ratan Singh was a brave and noble warrior, and as much as he loved wars, he loved art as well. In his court, he had many skilful and accomplished artists, one of whom was a musician named Raghav Chetan. What people didn't realise was that Raghav Chetan was also a spell-caster and a black magician. He used this undiscovered talent to vanquish his opponents.
Unfortunately, he was discovered red-handed performing the magic, which enraged the king. Raghav Chetan was therefore expelled from the kingdom after being publicly humiliated and forced to ride around the capital on a donkey with black paint on his face.
This severe penalty turned Ratan Singh into an unforgiving enemy. Raghav Chetan, who felt degraded, travelled to Delhi with the intention of giving Alauddin Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi, a justification for attacking Chittor.
Chetan planned a plot after being humiliated. He performed songs praising Rani Padmavati's beauty at Khilji's court. Khilji became more curious as a result, and he along with other soldiers left for Chittorgarh and set up camp outside the fort.
He communicated to Rawal Ratan Singh his desire to see the beauty of Rani Padmavati. He then agreed to depart after that. Singh felt uneasy because according to Rajput custom, women were not supposed to meet outsiders. However, he was aware that upsetting Khilji might lead to an attack. He subsequently consented to let Khilji see Rani Padmavati.
Rani Padmavati refused to meet Khilji in person. As a result, she arranged the mirrors in the palace so that the Sultan could view her reflection without having to see him in person. Khilji was so taken aback by her beauty that he resolved not to leave Chittor without the Rani.
Ratan Singh joined him on his way back to the camp. He seized him and sent a message back to the palace, telling them that if they wanted to see their king alive, Rani Padmavati had to come with him to Delhi.
Ratan Singh's two loyal generals, Gora and Badal, planned a strategy. They responded with a note stating that Rani had agreed to accompany him. The next day, approximately 100 palanquins arrived at Khilji's camp. However, surprise! There was no sign of the Rani in any of them. Soldiers had taken refuge within the palanquins and fought valiantly to release their King.
Khilji was furious that he had been tricked. He sent his troops to storm the fort, but Chittorgarh was impenetrable. As a result, they shut off all supplies. Days passed, and the fort's supplies began to run low. Ratan Singh finally determined that his forces would fight Khilji outdoors. Their little army was no match for Khilji's troops. Khilji's triumph was unavoidable.
Women in the palace decided to do Jauhar and leap on a pyre in order to save their honour. To cope with the grief of the fire, they dressed up as married women and sang holy chants. Rani Padmavati was the first to jump, and the other women quickly followed.
And this legend depicts how brave the women of India are. Rani performed Jauhar dressed up as Suhagan in saree with the women of Chittor to spare herself from being abducted as a mistress or slave by the opponent, which was unacceptable to the Rajputana Ranis. It represented the loss of one's self-respect and pride, both of which were extremely important to the Rajputs.
Conclusion
At Dhhaagey, we take inspiration from such bold Indian women and bring out our passion with the same intensity. We believe in taking you on a journey of traditional & cultural India through the luxury of celebrity-styled Dhhaagey Sarees, which are perfect for the modern-day women who are as fearless, brave, & unstoppable as the Rajputana Ranis of the 13th Century. We are supportive towards the women of India in their aspirational goals & dreams. Dhhaagey Saree's endeavour will perpetually remain loyal to the women of India.