PANNA DAI

A Brief Introduction:
Panna Dai was a Rajput woman and a nursemaid to Maharana Udai Singh II, the fourth son of Maharana Sangram Singh (Rana Sanga),She was known for her sacrifice, loyalty and patriotism for her King and Mewar.

Full Story :

When Maharana Udai Singh II was a young child his father died in a battle against Mughal emperor Babur.He was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, Maharana Ratan Singh, who was assassinated in 1531 after ruling only four years. Then he was succeeded by his brother Maharana Vikramaditya Singh. During his reign, Panna Dai had been given charge of young Udai, she was like a second mother to him, breast - feeding him virtually from his birth in 1522, along with her own son Chandan (also known as Moti), who was of similar age and Udai's playmate.

One day in 1536, Vikramaditya physically abused a respected old chieftain at the Court. This proved to be the final straw for the Mewar nobles; they placed Vikramaditya under palace arrest, leaving the object of Panna Dai's love and loyalty, Udai Singh as heir-elect to the throne.

Udai Singh still only an infant and therefore the nobles give job of Regent (caretaker ruler) to Banbir, illegitimate and ambitious son of Maharana Sanga's brother Prithvi Raj, who always wished to usurp the throne of Mewar, and to make his position permanent, he assassinated the imprisoned Vikramaditya.

On the same day's evening after killing Vikramaditya, he hurried towards the rawala to get rid of the only remaining barrier to his ambition, the 14-year-old Maharana-elect, Udai Singh.

Panna Dai had already fed her beloved son and her royal charge, and put them to bed. A servant (vari) ran in to tell her of the nearby assassination. Immediately, the loyal nursemaid realized what Banbir was doing. She also knew that, for the future of Mewar, young Udai must be saved. Urgently, she instructed the servant to put the sleeping prince into a large basket and smuggle him out of the fort to a spot by the nearby river where she would join them later. As soon as the servant left with the basket and its precious royal contents, she summoned an amazing strength of will that is characteristic of so many Rajputs: she lifted her sleeping son, Chandan, from his bed and placed him on the prince's bed, covering him with a blanket.

Within moments, Banbir burst into the room, sword in hand. When asked the whereabouts of the infant Maharana, Panna Dhai pointed to the occupied bed ... and watched in horror as the murderer slew her son. Banbir then called a meeting of the Court, informed the gathered chiefs that both Vikramaditya and Udai were dead and, claiming his dubious right to the throne, proclaimed himself the new king of Mewar. Meanwhile, the grief-stricken Panna Dai watched as her son was hastily cremated.

She then packed some clothing and meager supplies into a bag, and hurried from the fort. At the designated spot by the river, she took charge of the young king and urged the servant, in the name of Mewar, not to mention a word of what had transpired that night.

Panna Dai and the young king then moved towards Kumbhalgarh fort, where Udai Singh lived in secret for two years, disguised as a nephew of the governer Asha Shah.

In 1540, backed by a large combined Mewar and Marwar force, Udai Singh, then aged 18, marched on Chittor to reclaim his throne. Hearing of their approach, Banbir the usurper mounted an army and rode out to repel them. They met at Mavli (northeast of Udaipur-southwest of Chittor) and Banbir was defeated and killed by Udai Singh. Maharana Udai Singh rode into Chittor acclaimed by the populace.

And at that point, Panna Dai, the humble nursemaid, disappeared from the pages of Mewar's history. However, her name and her deeds will live forever as symbols of extraordinary loyalty, patriotism and personal sacrifice.