Rani Padmini

"Temples were desecrated, palaces and havelis denuded of their wealth and works of art, vandalised. Hardly anything survived the holocaust in the fort, except the undying spirit of Mewar that left an indelible message behind-I will be back. Padmini perished in the flames of jahuar, but left a legacy that still lingers in our consciousness. In fact, it is the likes of her who have enabled us to survive the slavery of a thousand years with almost everything intact - our Vedas and values, our festivals and fairs, our Ragas and rituals, our arts and culture and above all, our pride in the past."

"Setting aside the traditional narratives of the story the true facts are that Sultan Alauddin invaded Chittor in the year 1303 and after a hard fight of about eight months captured it. The brave Rajput warriors died fighting the invaders; thé brave Rajput women perished in the flames of Jauhar. Among those who perished was perhaps a queen of Ratan Singh whose name was Padmini. Except these bare facts all else is a literary concoction and lacks historical support."