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'Jauhar' which means a method of self immolation where women chose to sacrifice themselves to the agni or fire rather than selling their honour to the enemy.It is a practice that was prevalent among rajputs-a brave race of kshatriyas in northern india especially rajasthan.While the men are known for the bravery and courage they displayed in the battlefield,women often sacrificed themselves to fire whenever they found their defeat evident in battle.This was done to save themselves from disgrace and disrespect by the victorious foe.
While we often talk of brave and great men of history like maharana pratap,shivaji,ashoka,chandragupta maurya and numerous more,we seldom talk of women in such a fashion,especially in india.There are certain exceptions in this case like rani laxmibai,devi ahilyabai holkar,rani durgavati and razia sultan.But we all must agree that the names are just a few that can be easily counted on our fingers.And yet the contribution of women was never any less than men,rather it was more! Their bravery unmatched their patriotism unchallenged.
The rajput women surpassed all others in their acts of courage-the jauhar.Even a small burn on our hand can make us scream in agony.Then,imagine the tremendous pain that the women who performed jauhar experienced.The same immense burning sensation over the entire body,not even a single part was left out.And it was their own decision to jump in the fire,overcoming the slightest fears of death and suffering.
It wasn't that someone was forcing it upon them and they could have chosen a life over this torment,how does it matter if they lost their self respect? But,no! It wasn't acceptable to these brave kshatranis.It was them who chose dignified death over the loss of self respect and honour.And that too a death that caused great feelings of discomfort,the mere thoughts of which can send shivers down ones spine.The pain was unbearable and their wails could melt the hearts of even the wild beasts.It took incredible courage to perform this act which was not at all easy.It took huge amount of fearlessness and bravery to submit oneself to the fire,even when you know how much it can hurt you.
I doubt the fact that the men had the same amount of courage and bravery as these women.I doubt if they ever felt so much of pain and agony in their lives.
If i am right,where are we justified in placing the men above women? Where are we justified in saying that women are meek and helpless? This example proves that women have always walked shoulder to shoulder to men in every sphere of life.Their contribution has been appreaciable and immortal throughout history.
So,today lets take the opportunity to salute these great women-rani padmini,rani karnawati and many more who performed the sacred and selfless act of jauhar in their times.Let their patriotism and courage be an endless source of inspiration for us through our entire lifetime!
Jai hind! Jai mathrubhumi!
(PS- My eyes are teary after having written this piece and i hope that you also feel the pain and suffering that i am feeling now.Please feel free to share your thoughts on this further.😊)
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