Rani Roopmati Earrings

In the plateau of Malwa in central India, lies an ancient city named Mandu. This place is reminiscent of the story it had witnessed some five centuries earlier, the story of their lady of lotus and her royal lover. Queen Roopmati of Mandu, unlike most of the queens, was not born in a palace. She was a Hindu girl of humble origins, most of the sources refer to her as a shepherdess.

One day Roopmati with her magical voice was leading away her grazing cattle when the young king Baz Bahadur, the Sultan of Malwa, fell in love with her enchanting voice and her beauty. Rani Roopmati’s singing was so magical that people witnessed the miracle of blossoming of lotus flower due to her powerful singing.

Lotus is a symbol of divinity spanning through 1000 years of eastern cultures and one of the most sacred flowers. Lotus flower has its roots based in mud, it submerges every night into murky river water, and miraculously re-blooms the next morning. Among many ancient scriptures this is a symbol of spiritual enlightenment and rebirth.

Every tragic love story has a villain as does this one, and he is Adham Khan. As he came to capture Mandu with his large army, Baz Bahadur fled leaving Roopmati behind. Adham Khan was enchanted by the beauty of Rani Roopmati but she preferred death to being a Mughal captive and poisoned herself. Thus ended this magical love story steeped in music, poetry and beauty.

For her love that soared beyond compulsions of society the legendary Roopmati passed folklore, songs and tales, for generations to come.