WHOSE PADMAVATI IS IT ANYWAY?

The mirrors, reflecting the queen’s luminous beauty, appeared to be lit by the light of a thousand lamps, leaving the emperor Alauddin Khilji dazzled. Until recently, this iconic moment could be imagined by tourists visiting the Chittor fort in Rajasthan by looking at the socalled ‘Padmini’s mirrors’, strategically placed inside. Not any more. A few days ago, self-appointed defenders of Padmini’s honour have smashed the mirrors, claiming that the queen did not show herself there. In a sense, they are right. The mirrors were installed about fifty years ago for the benefit of tourists. The mirror episode itself was a late addition to the legend of Padmavati/ Padmini, the mythical queen of Chittor.