5 lesser known facts about Rani Lakshmibai you need to know before watching Manikarnika

Khoob ladi mardaani woh toh Jhansi waali Rani thi.. these words epitomise the fearless and brave Queen of Jhansi – Rani Lakshmibai. A true feminist, she fought social stigmas at a time when the word feminism was not even coined. With the release of the film Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi around the corner, let’s have a look at five things that you didn’t know about this fascinating woman.

Do you know what her real name was?

Rani Lakshmibai was the name given to her by her husband according to the Hindu tradition where a woman is given a new name after marriage. Her maiden name was Manu Bai or Manikarnika and her parents used to call her Manu fondly.  She was born in a Maharashtrian Brahmin family in Varanasi. Her mother died when Manu was 4 and she was bought up by her father.

Do you know the story about her son Damodar Rao?

She was married to the Maharaja of Jhansi, Gangadhar Rao Newalkar, at the age of 14. In 1851, Rani Lakshmibai gave birth to a son but unfortunately he died when he was just 4-months-old. Later the King and the Queen adopted the son of King’s cousin. The child was first named Anand Rao and later he was renamed as Damodar Rao by the King just a day before his death.

She died when she was…

Rani Lakshmibai died when she was 29, Yes, just 29. According to the British rule then, after the king’s death in case there is no heir, the kingdom was taken over by the British. Rani Lakshmibai didn’t agree to it and after going through everything finally in 1857 the war broke out and the Queen herself entered the battle field. She had kept her stand firm for a long time but the opponent army found her vulnerable in Gwalior where she died while fighting. A glorious death indeed.

This poem talks about her valour

Khoob ladi mardaani woh toh Jhansi waali Rani thi. Rani Lakshmibai is introduced to us by these words since our childhood. This phrase is actually from a poem that sings the valour of the bravest Queen that India had seen. Written by Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, a poet from Allahabad, this poem went on to be a summary of what Rani Lakshmibai was. And the mention of just the phrase from the poem fills our heart with pride.

Chamak uthi san sattavan mein, yeh talwar purani thi,
Bundeley Harbolon key munh hamney suni kahani thi,
Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.

This isn’t the first time a film has been made on her

Considering the story and its importance in our history, this isn’t the first time that anyone is making a visual account of the story. In 1953, director Sohrab Modi made a film based on Rani Lakshmi Bai and titled is Jhansi ki Rani.Actress Mehtab played the character of the Queen and is till date remembered for her portrayal. The film went on to be in the list of classics. In 2009 a television series was made on the life of the Queen and went on to be a hit with amazing TRP and fan following. In the series Ulka Gupta played the young Manikarnika and Kritika Sengar played the adult version. Now after a decade Kangana Ranaut as Rani Lakshmibai will grace the screens on January 25 this year.

For us as Indians the story will always be special and close to our hearts. The war that happened in 1857 is known as the first war of Independence. Rani Lakshmibai will be remembered forever.