| Rai Praveen Mahal Orchha
Rai Praveen was as well
known for her enchanting beauty as for her poetry and music. The paramour
of Indrajit Singh, in whose court she performed, her fame inevitably spread
far and wide and finally reached the Imperial Court of Akbar. The Mughal
emperor was smitten by her, and he arrogantly summoned her to his durbar.
Indrajit Singh, Rai Parveen’s paramour, was too weak-kneed a ruler to defy
the Imperial summons.
The Rai Praveen Palace
has constructed by Prince Indrajit Singh for his bellowed out of three
stories. The walls ofthe central hall on the second story bear many paintings
depicting the several moods of the Rai Praveen. The palace is combined
with a garden divided into two parts wall and whice is popularly known
as Anand Mahal bag (Garden). The Rai Praveen was a great beauty whose main
accomplishments were dancing, horce riding and poetry. The famous poet
Keshavdas has compiled Kavi priya to honour Rai Praveen and praised her
beauty compairing herto Roopamti & Mriganayani.
Akbar & Rai Praven-couplet
Upon being summoned again,
Rai Praveen went to the Mughal court in 1602 to save Orchha and its ruler
from getting into further problem. She presented
her self before the emperor
adn asked for leave to recite a couplet. The couplet is as follows,
Vinit Rai Praveen ki,
suniye sah sujan.
Juthi patar bhakat
hain, bari, bayas, swan.
0' good and intelligent!
Please listen to the prayer of Rai Praveen. Only bari (a low caste among
Hindus), barber and cureatfrom a plate, food from which
has been partaken by
someone else. Akbar, an intelligent person himself, understood the import
of Rai Praveen's couplet immediately. he rewarded her and allowed her to
return to Orchha with full dignity and honour.
Keshav·RaiPraveen
The literary scene of
the royal court ofOrchha was thus, under the full impact of Keshav's influence.
He was a great teacher to his son, Bihari and Rai .
Praveen. Kavi Priya,
Ostensibly composed to teach poetics to Rai Praveen, has words of affection
for her. He says, Sobha subh sani parmarath nidhani diha,
Kalusha Kripani mani sab
jag jani hai; Poorav ke pure punya suni prveen Rai, Teri vani meri Rani
Ganga kaio Pani Hai. |
