Finding Rani Roopmati

Dear reader,

I have a funny incident to report, it starts from my first ever visit to MP and how I thought about it this time while I was in Bhopal because I read about Rani Roopmati again.

When I was 20, I visited Mandu in Madhya Pradesh with a friend. Our guide told us a story about Rani Roopmati that’s stuck with me ever since because it was so funny.

He said:

“Rani Roopmati was such a gifted singer that Emperor Akbar wanted her in his court as the tenth jewel of the Navratnas. But she refused to go. And neither did Baaz Bahadur want her to leave. So Akbar sent Mian Tansen to convince them — and since Baaz Bahadur himself was an accomplished musician, the two ended up having a competition which would seal Roopmati’s fate.”

The guide then pointed to a spot where there was once an artificial pond. He said:

“There was a lotus blooming in this pond, and a bee was buzzing around it. Tansen began singing Raag Malhar. The skies darkened, rain threatened, and the lotus slowly closed its petals — trapping the bee inside. Then Tansen turned to Baaz Bahadur and challenged him: 'Now you sing, and free the bee.'

So, Baaz Bahadur sang Aa laut ke aaja mere meet — and, as the story goes, the bee flew out."

He added, “When they made a film on Rani Roopmati, they used that same song.”

Here’s the song, I am sharing even though it is sung by Mukesh who I can’t stand:

This time in Bhopal, I thought of this story again because I was reading the Nautch Girls of the Raj by Pran Nevile and read this:

That’s it folks. See you soon. If you enjoying reading my newsletter, press that heart, leave a comment.

<3

Indu