Maharani Kishori - The Pushkar Bath of Maharani Kishori

The Pushkar Bath of Maharani Kishori

Maharani Kishori, wife of Maharaja Suraj Mal and adopted mother of Jawahar Singh, was adept at political intrigue. She was distressed to see that Jawahar Singh was not adopting a favourable policy towards family members and the nobility. She knew that only keeping him engaged in warfare could control him. She also knew that the Rajputs would never tolerate this abrupt rise of Jat rule and would always resist the latter's efforts to gain power. The solution to both problems lay in war.

Maharani Kishori told her proud son that she wanted to go for a sacred bath at Pushkar. Jawahar Singh pointed out that Pushkar was situated in the territory of his eternal and deadly foe, Raja Madho Singh, who would not tolerate her arrival at Pushkar with a large retinue. Instead he advised her that if she determined to go Pushkar for a bath, she should go with only a few followers and Rupa Ram, Purohit.

The Rani retorted that she was the mother of Jawahar Singh and the queen of Maharaja Suraj Mal, and taking a bath like Marwari women would affront her pride; she would like to take her bath along with the Rajput Ranis (queens) there, and also intended to give alms surpassing that of the Rajput Ranis. Furthermore, she did not understand why the Jats should be afraid of the Rajputs any longer.

Jawahar Singh knew full well that this would lead to warfare and bloodshed, so he marched to Pushkar with 60,000 cavalry, 100,000 infantry and 200 guns. With fluttering banners and beating drums, they entered Jaipur territory and set up an impressive camp in the sandy plains of Pushkar.

Maharani Kishori's weight in gold was distributed in charity. The other Ranis who had come on this occasion were humiliated, because they were not in a position to match Maharani Kishori's charity. Rajput pride was hurt.