Dedicated to the First Day of Navaratri - Rani Karnavati of Garhwal

Bharatiya Veerangana

Dedicated to the First Day of Navaratri - Navadurga: Shailaputri

Rani Karnavati of Garhwal

She was not merely the wife of a king; she was a true warrior!

Rani Karnavati Parmar of the Garhwal Kingdom (Tehri Garhwal) was a warrior queen of the 17th century. She was the wife of Mahipat Shah, the Rajput king of Garhwal, known as 'Garva Bhanjan,' meaning "destroyer of the pride of his enemies." Mahipat Shah ruled from 1622 until his untimely death in 1631, leaving behind a 7-year-old son, Prithvipati Shah. After his death, Rani Karnavati ruled on behalf of her young son.

When Shah Jahan was crowned in 1628, King Mahipat Shah refused to attend the coronation, which angered the Mughal emperor. Garhwal, rich in precious metal mines, became a target for the Mughals. In 1640, Rani Karnavati successfully repelled an invasion led by Shah Jahan’s general, Najabat Khan. According to Niccolao Manucci, an Italian traveller who chronicled the Mughal era, Rani Karnavati earned fame by ordering the captured Mughal soldiers to either have their noses cut off or die. The soldiers surrendered, leaving their noses behind. Shah Jahan ordered that she be called the "Nak-kati Rani" or "cut-nose queen." Unable to bear the humiliation, Najabat Khan took his own life. Rani Karnavati's success was due in part to the strategic advantage of Garhwal’s mountainous terrain and her use of guerilla warfare, unfamiliar to the Mughals. Eventually, Shah Jahan was forced to sign a peace treaty.

Beyond her military achievements, Rani Karnavati focused on governance and development. She commissioned the construction of monuments in the Dehradun district and is credited with building the Rajpur Canal, the first canal in Dehradun, which brought water from the Rispana River into the city. This project contributed to the region's prosperity and demonstrated her administrative skills.

Reflections…

Today marks the first day of Navaratri, dedicated to worshipping Goddess Shailaputri, daughter of King Himavat – an incarnation of Durga or Parvati. Shailaputri is the Muladhara Shakti, the foundational energy within the Self. Shailaputri embodies the Earth itself, encompassing all that is visible on the planet, including its hills, valleys, water bodies, seas, oceans, and even the atmosphere. She symbolizes stability, strength, and wisdom.

But is this just a belief, or do our Shastras reveal deeper truths about human nature through such stories? The qualities of Shailaputri – strength and wisdom – are vividly reflected in Rani Karnavati, who was also a daughter of the Himalayas, born in its nurturing embrace. The resemblance is striking! How can we dismiss this as mere coincidence? These women are manifestations of the Shakti we worship during Navaratri. How can we say this Shakti did not exist? It has, and it continues to, in various forms and across different eras.

This belief reminds us that we possess this inner Shakti; we simply need to awaken it within ourselves. This is the time, during Navaratri, to become conscious of our inner strength!