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Thursday, May 4, 2017

Chitrangada - The Warrior Princess...




I have been told many a times that Bengali women are different... Some call us loud, others independent, a few dominating but never meek.

Frankly speaking if you ask me,I have never really analyzed this ever, I just lived with the values I was brought up with. The way I saw all women in my life, that's exactly how I grew up to be. I don't know much about human nature or anthropology, be it social or cultural...or how people from each region behave. I do know one thing that I was taught as a kid... fight for the weak, stand up for yourself and the bullied. Never raise a hand on anyone, but if a hand is raised at you... break it.

That stuck with me. Growing up, we would be exposed to a whole lot of Bengali literature, poetry, music etc...Chitrāngadā, the story of the warrior princess from Manipur, was one such.

Chitrāngadā, a single child of the king of Manipur and the heir to the throne, dressed like a man and was the protector of the land. One day, she meets Arjun (Pandava from Mahabharata), and seeing his prowess as a hunter, she falls in love with him. However she believed he could never love her the way she was, and transformed herself into a beautiful feminine woman. When she met Arjun, enthralled by her beauty, he couldn't help but fall in love with her. However deep down the desire to be loved the way she truly was.. stayed alive. When Manipur came under attack, the people went in search of their warrior princess... Hearing her story, Arjun, now impressed and intrigued, longed to meet her. Chitrāngadā appeared and saved her kingdom before revealing her true self to Arjun.

There is this one song that comes at the end of the play... When Arjun proposed marriage to her, her introduction of herself and her conditions for her man, epitomized all that is a woman to me.

I am Chitrāngadā , a princess from a line of great kings
No goddess am I, nor an ordinary woman.
I do not crave worship nor ask to be exalted
No, that’s not me,
That you should ask me in passing to follow behind
No, that’s not me.
I ask to be at your side
In both the good times and ill,
And that you allow yourself to share
Equally in the penances that may come,
Then will you know my worth.
Today I just say unto you –
I am Chitrāngadā , a princess from a line of great kings