NEW DELHI: Meerabai, a Rajput princess of the Merta kingdom in Rajasthan is one of the foremost names in the Bhakti tradition. Her love for Krishna, which began at an early age, is legendary. When Meera was five years old, a sadhu stayed at their house. In the morning, he took out a Krishna idol and started worshipping it. When young Meera saw the idol, she immediately fell in love with the image of Krishna playing the flute and wearing a peacock headband.
She cried for the idol and requested the sadhu to give it to her, but he refused and went his way. That night, when the sadhu was sleeping in the next village, he had a dream ans saw Krishna saying, ‘Return this idol to the little girl. It belongs to her.’ The sadhu had worshipped Krishna for a long time, but this was the first time he had appeared in his dream. In the middle of the night, he took the statue back and gave it to Meera. This is the moment when began her lifelong love for Krishna.
Meera was married to the crown prince of Mewar, but after a few years, he died and she started spending most of her time in her private Krishna temple, receiving sadhus and devotees from all over the country. She would also compose songs of devotion and dance in the village temple and religious gatherings.
But Meera had to suffer much persecution at the hands of the ruler of Mewar as her actions were contrary to the strict rules meant to be followed by Rajput princesses and widows. However, this had no effect on Meera, who was absorbed in her devotion to Krishna.
The ruler of Mewar made several attempts on her life. Once, she was sent a poisonous snake in a basket of flowers, but when she opened it, she found an image of Krishna. Another time, she was given poison, which she drank and remained unharmed.
Meera left Mewar and went back to her native kingdom of Merta, but her unconventional behaviour was not accepted there either. She went to Vrindavan and visited the most famous Krishna temple there. But because women were not allowed inside the temple, Meera was forced to leave Vrindavan. She then went to Dvaraka and settled in the Krishna temple called Ranchhodraiji.
Years later, Udai Singh became the ruler of Mewar and sent a delegation to bring Meera back. Reluctantly, Meera agreed but asked permission to spend one last night inside the temple. She went into the temple and, in the morning, was found to have disappeared. It is not known whether she died or slipped away unseen. People believe that she had merged with the idol of Ranchhodraiji.
