Rajula-Malushahi is an old medieval period love story and folklore of

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...

. it describes love between Rajula, a princesses of

Shauka {{Use dmy dates, date=July 2017 The Shauka people are Tibeto-Burman ethnic group living in the Johar Valley of Gori Ganga river in Munsyari, tehsil of the Pithoragarh District in Kumaon, India. See also *Kumaon *Kumauni people Further readi ...

family. and Malushahi, a prince belonging to

Katyuri dynasty The Katyuri kings were a medieval Hindu Rajput's ruling clan of Khasha origin from Joshimath that ruled over the regions in present day regions of Kumaon, Uttarakhand in India and parts of Doti/Sudurpashchim Province in Nepal from 700 to 120 ...

of Kumaon.

Story

Based on local folk tales, songs of Kumaon, King Dola Shah of Bairath (present day Chaukhutia). He did not have children. He was advised that if he worshiped Lord Shiva at Bagnath (present-day

Bageshwar Bageshwar ( Kumaoni: ''Bāgshyār'') is a town and a municipal board in Bageshwar district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is located at a distance of 470 km from the National Capital New Delhi and 332 km from the State Capital ...

), he would get children. There, Dola Shah finds a childless couple, Sunapati Shauk-Ganguly. Both decide that if one has a boy and the other has a girl, then they will marry both. Later, a son was born to Shah and a daughter to Sunapati. Astrologers tell King Dola Shah to sum up the son's short death, and recommend him to marry a young girl. However, Dola Shah remembering the promise. goes to Sunapati and makes a symbolic marriage of Rajula-Malushahi. Meanwhile, the king dies. The courtiers curse Rajula for this. Rumors spread that if this girl child enters the state then it will be disastrous. On the other hand, Rajula grows up seeing the dream of Malushahi. Meanwhile, Vikhipal the king of Hun sends a marriage proposal to Sunapati after hearing about the beauty of Rajula and threatens her family to accept the proposal or else he will burn their home and imprison them. However, Rajula does not accept the proposal. as her family continuously forces her, She escapes at night taking the symbolic wedding ring, travelling through

Munsiari Munsiyari ( Kumaoni: ''Munsyār'') is the name of the sub-division headquarters, a conglomeration of revenue villages and it also refers to the entire region as Munsiyari Tehsil and Sub Division in the Pithoragarh District in the hill-state of ...

and crossing the river, drain, mountain and reaches Bairath via Bageshwar. But Malushahi's mother remembers the court. She uses the sleeping herb and makes Malushahi unconscious. Malushahi does not wake up even after awakening Rajula's lacquer. Rajula gets back crying. Here the parents get Hun Raja married to her under pressure. On the other hand, Malushahi is free from the influence of the herb. He dreams of Rajula, who begs him to save her from the Vikhipal. Malushahi remembers childhood marriage. When he decides to go to Rajula, the mother protests. On this, Malushahi Renounce the kingdom and becomes a Sanyasi. he then continues his journey and Wandering from time to time he meets Baba gorakhnath. With his guidance, he reaches the kingdom of Hun. Rajula becomes very happy to see Malushahi, but the Vikhipal hearing the story of Malushahi, feeds him poisonous meal causing the death of Malushahi.

Legacy

it is considered one of the most popular folklore of Kumaon. it has been performed in Kumaon for about thousand years and passed down orally from generation to generation in family of traditional bards,

Mohan Upreti Mohan Upreti (1928–1997) was an Indian theatre director, playwright and a music composer, considered one of the pioneers in Indian theatre music. A popular figure in Kumaon, Mohan Upreti is remembered for his immense contribution towards the ...

brought the epic ballad on the regional and national theaters, in 1980

Sangeet Natak Akademi Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in English) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India. History It was set up by the Indian education ministry on 31 May 1952 and be ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

published book on the epic ballad of Rajula-Malushahi.

References

{{Reflist Culture of Uttarakhand Kumaon division Indian folklore Uttarakhand