Holi with
Bloodshed
 The invitation said, 'Hope your thirst for
battle has been quenched. Springtime has come.
Come with your courtiers
to play Holi with the
Rajputani'...
by Dina Nath Dubey
Perched
on the bank of the river Chambal, Kota was once
ruled by the rulers of
Malwa, Kesar Khan and Dokar Khan. But it was rather
their misfortune,
which drew them to Kota, where they were buried
near the big tank, with
the beautiful Jag Mandir at its bank. The end of
these rulers came in a
sensational way on the occasion of Holi, when
people play with colours.
But it was not colour, in their case, it was
blood.
 As per
tale about seven hundred years ago, Kota was seized
by the two pathans
Dokar Khan and Kesar Khan. Bhongasi, its ruler was
incapacitated with
the excessive use of wine and opium and was
banished to Bundi. His
wife, with his household vassals and sixty
villagers retired to
Kaithun. Bhongasi, while in exile, repented his
excesses and returned
to his wife and kins. The intrepid Rajputani,
rejoiced at his return
and laid a plan for the recovery of Kota.
To
attempt it, by force,
would have been an open invitation to
destruction.
When spring
came the queen planned to organize Holi and invited
the Pathans who
jumped at the invitation and eagerly awaited the
moment when they would
be with the
queen.
One fine evening, Kesar Khan and Dokar Khan
found themselves in a romantic mood.
Posted 14:36
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Holi with Bloodshed, not quite the wonderful Happy Holiday of today.