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The Warrior Queens of Medieval Odisha

Post author By Kayva Gokhale
Post date January 24, 2024
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By Jayshree Misra Tripathi

The Bhaumakara Reign

In the first half of 8th century CE, the Bhaumakara dynasty had conquered and unified the kingdoms of Kangoda, Kalinga and Toshali, in the eastern region of the Indian subcontinent. Their rule would extend for over two centuries, from 736 CE to 945 CE. This period was also a time of tremendous change in society, as Buddhism and Jainism evolved during their early rule, and later, Hinduism was revived.

During their reign, the Bhaumakaras established trade and cultural links with South-East Asia. Their maritime trade is evident from inscriptions of the period as they include the words ‘samudrakara bandha’ which translates to ‘ocean tax’. Due to these links, the region experienced overall prosperity. It was the golden era of Utkala or the Land of Exquisite Arts.

The Widow Queens

It was during this period that the Bhaumakara Queens, who were widows, reigned for almost 200 years but, initially, not in direct succession. Nowhere else in the land had widows ascended the throne. Earlier, royal women could donate land and order temples to be built but could not participate in the administration of the kingdom.

Queen of Odisha — Illustration: Ritoparna Hazra

Tribhuvana Mahadevi – the First Queen

The first and most acclaimed of the widow queens was Tribhuvana Mahadevi, who ascended the throne in 845 CE, after the death of her son. The charters of Dhenkanal and Talcher state that Tribhuvana Mahadevi restored peace in her kingdom, overcoming rebellions with the help of her father. She appointed honest officials to oversee her subjects, administered a light-tax and used the royal treasury to build temples, monasteries and charitable shelters for the poor.

Tribhuvana Mahadevi commanded an army of men and women, estimated to have a strength of 3,00,000 people. These figures are inscribed on copper plates discovered in recent archaeological excavations. Royal women were skillful warriors, having learnt the art from their childhoods. Women were respected in the kingdom. In fact, early Vedic marriage hymns hoped that young brides would speak with composure at assemblies held for the welfare of the people. There is no evidence of Sati or Purdah in palm leaf inscriptions or copper-plate charters. Women in her kingdom were educated and permitted to study the sacred texts and conduct sacrifices. They even wore sacred threads, like the menfolk. Royal women were granted administrative rights to issue charters and land grants.

Her charters state that she truly cared for her people and built roads, wells and bridges. She performed rituals in temples and donated ghee, milk, curd, betel-leaf, sandalwood paste and incense. She participated in discourses on religious doctrines. Tribhuvana Mahadevi gave from her personal resources to fight wars, stave off pestilence and famine. Harmony prevailed during her rule.

Baitala temple — Illustration: Tithee Dixit

Subsequent Queens

Tribhuvana Mahadevi abdicated her throne after eighteen years of rule, to her grandson, Santikara Deva II, when she felt he was ready to rule. Fifty years later, another widow, Prithivi Mahadevi, ascended the throne, after the mysterious death of the reigning king, her brother-in-law. She assumed the title of Tribhuvana Devi the Second. However, as she was suspected of having her brother-in-law killed with the help of her father, she was not accepted on the throne by the court and was deposed, after a few years of rule. Her name was not included in their genealogical tree.

The last male ruler of the Bhaumakaras, Subhakara V, was succeeded by his widow, Gauri Mahadevi, who ruled briefly. She decreed the construction of the Gauri Temple at Bhubaneswar. Her daughter, Dandi Mahadevi, was a powerful ruler and administrator. However, she died a premature and mysterious death. She was succeeded by her stepmother, Vakula Mahadevi, a princess of the Bhanja dynasty. Little is known of her rule.

After her, the widow of Santikara III, Dharma Mahadevi, ascended the throne. She was also a princess of the Bhanja dynasty and was the last Bhaumakara ruler. After her death, the kingdom was occupied by the Somavamsi King Dharmaratha.

Sadly, there are few statues or images of these brave widow queens, and only remnants of the monuments they had ordered to be built. Many have been destroyed by later conquerors of different faiths. Intrigue, strife, murder and mystery are deeply embedded in the history of these courageous and inspirational queens of Odisha.

Read about more such inspirational queens only on the ACK Comics app!

The Story of Petha

By Zaara D’Souza

Petha is a famous sweet from Agra. Juicy on the inside and crisp on the outside, this delectable treat is made from white pumpkin (also known as winter melon or ash gourd), and soaked in rose sugar syrup to lend it a sweet, refreshing taste.

As the story goes, it was first created by the Mughals chefs when Emperor Shah Jahan wanted a sweet that resembled the characteristics of the Taj Mahal — pure and white. The chefs boiled white pumpkin, serving it in rose sugar syrup or as dried sweet chunks. The petha served as a source of energy for the thousands of workers who toiled over the construction of the Taj Mahal. Agra’s Noori Gate area is home to over 700 cottage units that create this sweet, now served in many different flavors like cherry, orange, paan, coconut, and of course, rose, among others.

Nature in the Saptaswara

The Saptaswara (the seven notes) form the basis of Indian Classical Music. Did you know that these notes are said to have originated from nature? The notes – Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni – are believed to come from the sounds made by various animals.

Shadja or Sa: Cry of the peacock in monsoon

Rishaba or Re: Grunting of bulls

Gandhara or Ga: Bleating of goats in a flock

Madhyama or Ma: Cry of the heron

Pancham or Pa: Cuckoo’s song in the spring

Dhaivata or Dha: Neighing of the horse

Nishada or Ni: Trumpeting of the elephant

Amla Navami

Every year, in the month of November, people celebrate Amla Navami, a day dedicated to the worship of Amla or the Gooseberry tree. Also known as Akshaya Navami, this festival falls in the month of Kartik, as per the Hindu calendar.

According the various legends in the Skanda Purana, Padma Purana and Vishnu Purana, the Amla tree has been associated with Vishnu. It is believed that this tree is very dear to the god and has also been said to be another form of Vishnu himself.

On Amla Navami, devotees observe a fast throughout the day. After a pooja, they break the fast while sitting under an Amla tree. Sitting or meditating under the Amla tree on this day is believed to remove sins and diseases. People also circumambulate the tree and eat amlas to seek good health and prosperity.

Vishkanya: The Ancient Assassins

Post author By Kayva Gokhale
Post date November 29, 2023
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Did you know about the deadly female assassins of ancient India? These women were called ‘Vishkanya’, which literally translates to ‘Poison Maiden.’ These assassins were said to be used by kings and ministers to administer poison to their political rivals, in various ways. Read on to know more these mysterious figures.

Historical Mentions

Many ancient texts contain mentions of Vishkanyas and their operations in ancient courts. One such text is the Arthashastra, an ancient Indian treatise on statecraft written by Chanakya, a strategist and royal advisor to Chandragupta, the first Mauryan emperor. In addition to this, some local Marathi sources such as the Marathi book, ‘Samrat Akhbar’ and a Persian source by historian Abdul Qadir Badyuni from the period of Mughal Emperor Akbar, also point towards the existence of the Vishkanyas. Similarly, some Ayurvedic texts on toxicology mention Vishkanyas and their dangers. There is also a lot of anecdotal and oral evidence surrounding the legend of these assassins.

Training

According to legend, young girls who were chosen to become Vishkanyas had to undergo rigorous training. A major part of this training included a practice known as ‘Mithridatism’. Mithridatism was method to protect oneself against various poisons by gradually consuming them in small doses daily, to develop immunity against them. Unfortunately, Mithridatism was not effective against all kinds of poison. Hence, many young women died during the process of becoming a Vishkanya. Those who survived were said to become insensitive to poison, and the immunity they attained was beneficial in killing their targets.

Once they were fully trained, most Vishkanyas would disguise themselves as dancers or courtesans and approach their victims thus. In many stories, Vishkanyas appear to be able to poison others simply through touch or exchange of bodily fluids. Their blood would also be deadly to those who came in contact with it. However, some other texts suggest that the Vishkanyas weren’t physically poisonous. Instead, they would poison the food or drink of their enemy. They would then consume this food in front of the target to gain their trust. Since the Vishkanyas were immune to poison, they would not be affected, but the target would soon die after eating or drinking the poisoned items.

The Legends of Vishkanyas

Once, a Vishkanya was sent, disguised as a dancer, to the court of Emperor Chandragupta Maurya. Suspecting her real identity, Chanakya sent her to the emperor’s enemy, King Parvathak. The very next day, Parvathak was found dead, and Emperor Chandragupta was saved.

Some records mention an incident where the Greek philosopher Aristotle warned Alexander the Great against such dancers gifted by Indian kings to their guests.

Information on the Vishkanyas is found in very limited amount of historical texts, which is why it is difficult to differentiate between fact and legend surrounding these assassins. Perhaps that is why these mysterious and fascinating figures have captured public imagination, turning them into common archetypes even in modern literature.

By Srinidhi Murthy

Read more about fascinating Indian history, only on the ACK Comics app!

Famous Quotes #23

Here is a quote about the importance of maintaining the right relationships for the right reasons, from the Drona Parva of the Mahabharata.

Arati Saha: A Swimming Legend

Post author By Kayva Gokhale
Post date November 22, 2023
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By Zaara D’Souza

Arati Saha was a swimming legend, who created history when she became the first Asian woman to swim across the English Channel, at the young age of 19. Read on to know more about her life.

Childhood

Arati Saha was born in 1940 in Kolkata, West Bengal to a middle class family. She was brought up by her father, as her mother had passed away when she was still a toddler. After her mother’s loss, her elder brother and younger sister were sent off to live in their maternal aunt and uncle’s house, while Arati was left to be brought up by her grandmother in North Calcutta. Panchugopal Saha, her father, would take little Arati along with him and his brother to the city’s popular bathing grounds – Champtala Ghat.

Almost immediately Panchugopal was able to recognise that his daughter had an inclination towards swimming, even at such an early age. He decided to enroll her for proper training at the Hatkhola Swimming Club. As luck would have it, India’s first Asian Games gold medalist, Sachin Nag noticed her one day. He too, immediately spotted her talent and decided to take her under his wing and began training her. After this, Arati dived right into her professional swimming career.

Accolades

After starting training at just 4 years old, Arati won a gold medal for 110 yards freestyle at the Shailendra Memorial Swimming Competition of 1946, only a year later. With exemplary determination and discipline, she went on to win more than 22 state competitions in West Bengal over the next 6 years. Her game-changing recorded time for her laps allowed her to take part in the 1952 Olympics at the mere age of 12, but unfortunately she did not manage to win a stand on the podium. This did not stop her, but only encouraged her to go further.

The Dream

As she was pushed harder and harder to train, she started to gain more confidence. She soon began to harbour a challenging dream — to attempt swimming the intimidating English Channel. Although a few women had attempted this before her, it was still a highly male dominated area at the time. Arati’s own participation is what changed this for future female swimmers.

Brojen Das, the English Channel’s first Asian finisher (not just once, but six times!) proposed Arati’s name to the organisers for the event that year. Even Mihir Sen, another accomplished English Channel finisher, encouraged this idea. With the motivation of many other supportive men and the financial aid of the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, and the then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, the English Channel dream began to take shape.

In 1959, she attempted the feat for the first time but was unable to finish. She made her second attempt just one month later. This time, Arati came back and completed the entire length at the impressively young age of 19. This won her not just a Padma Shri, but also a place in the history of swimming, as the first Asian woman to swim across the English Channel.

Arati passed away at the age of 54, unfortunately losing a battle to jaundice and encephalitis. The Government of India honoured her by releasing a postage stamp in her name. She is remembered not just as a swimmer, but as a woman who changed swimming for every Indian girl who dreamed of the same things she did.

Read about more such legendary personalities from Indian history, only on the ACK Comics app!

Khar: The Astringent of Assam

Post author By Kayva Gokhale
Post date November 21, 2023
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By Shakthi Bharathi and Himasweeta Sarma

According to Ayurveda, there are six tastes known as the ‘rasas’. Each rasa plays its own role in boosting health and influencing the taster’s mood. Thus, the perfect meal has to contain all six rasas: salty, sweet, pungent, sour, bitter, and astringent.

Astringents, the last of these, are peculiar. More sensation than taste, their effect on the tongue comes from tannin-heavy foods. The cooling numbness of tulsi, the gritty sweetness of paan, the ashy burn of tobacco, the dry bitterness of wine—all of these are astringents at play. In Sanskrit, the sixth flavour is called ‘kashaya rasa’.

Khar

In ancient times, the landlocked state of Assam had no access to sea salt. The common folk needed a strong condiment and a cheaper way to preserve food—thus came about khar. This brown liquid, filtered from the ashes of sun-dried banana peel, has an earthy smokiness that makes it the soul of Assamese cooking. An all-in-one ingredient, khar is used as a palate cleanser, digestif, antiseptic, shampoo, and even detergent!

Did you know?

Being an alkali, khar cannot be added to sour dishes, which contain acidic components like vinegar or tomatoes. This is because alkalis and acids neutralise each other.

Sundakkai: The Bitter Berry

Post author By Kayva Gokhale
Post date November 21, 2023
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By Shakthi Bharathi

Bitterness often gets a bad reputation as the smell of burnt spices and the taste of medicine. However, the ability of bitters to balance out sweetness, cut through rich foods, and add depth of flavour, makes them integral to Indian cuisine. In the hands of a skilled cook, even the dreaded bitter gourd can be transformed into the crunchiest pakoras!

Sundakkai

Also known as turkey berry, this marble-sized fruit grows in thorny shrubs all through the year. Rich in iron, it is said to prevent anaemia, and has a sharp, metallic undertone to its bitterness. These little flavour bombs are used in South Indian chutneys and gravies. They are also sundried, fried in ghee or oil, and eaten as an accompaniment to rice.

Did you know?

In Siddha, one of the five alternative systems of medicine in India, these berries are used to treat gastrointestinal issues. So great are their digestive properties, they are often eaten to break a fast.

Kokum: The Versatile Fruit

Post author By Kayva Gokhale
Post date October 30, 2023
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By Shakthi Bharathi

‘Sour’ is a combination of the first three—it has the brightness of sugar, the tang of salt, and the intensity of spice. Be it the tamarind that lends richness to sambhar or the mango pickle that completes a thali, the fourth rasa is irreplaceable. Souring agents like vinegar also aid in fermentation and preservation, extending the shelf life of many foods.

Kokum

Kokum trees are native to the Western Ghats of India, rarely straying afar. As such, the clusters of purple fruit dangling from their branches do not have an English name. Bite into a Kokum fruit and the tart explosion of flavour will taste like berries. Versatile, they can be at home in the sweetest of sherbets and the spiciest of curries.

Did you know?

Kokum butter, extracted from the seeds of the fruit, is used not only in cooking but across cosmetic products like moisturisers, lipsticks, and face creams.