Panna and Hadi Rani

This Amar Chitra Katha brings to you the stories of two courageous Rajput women, who were willing to forfeit their all at the call of duty. Among the chivalrous and valiant people of Rajasthan lurked some enemies like Banvir. Invited by the nobles to be the guardian of the weak but arrogant King Vikramaditya of Mewar, Banvir exploited the situation to fulfill his own ambitions. And he might have been successful too, had it not been for Panna, the trusted maid and companion of Vikramaditya?s mother, Rani Karmavati. The story of Panna is that of ultimate sacrifice for the love of one?s homeland. In the 17th century, many Rajputs linked their fate with the Mughals. They accepted employment under them and had marriage alliances with them, but there were some among them who considered the Mughals as usurpers. Prabhavati, also known as Chanchal, was one such person. Bethrothed by her brother to the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, she sought the help of Maharana Raj Singh of Mewar. The gallant Rana came to her rescue, although his chivalrous action put a strain on the amiable relations he had with Aurangzeb. The marriage of Prabhavati and Raj Singh was possible only because of the heroic act of another couple, Ratna Singh and his new bride, Hadi Rani.