Veerangana Rani Durgavati Gaurav Yatra:
Home Minister Amit Shah and PM Narendra Modi will attend the six-day “Veerangana Rani Durgavati Gaurav Yatra” (to honour 16th-century Gondwana kingdom queen Rani Durgavati) in Madhya Pradesh
- Rani Durgavati (1524 – 1564) was the ruling Queen of Gondwana from 1550 until 1564.
- She is chiefly remembered for defending her kingdom against the Mughal Empire.
- She strengthened the alliance between the Chandel and Gond dynasties
- Assumed leadership of the Gond kingdom around 1550 after her husband’s passing.
- Defeated Bajbahadur, who took control of the Malwa province in 1556
- Direct interaction between Rani Durgavati’s realm and the Mughal Empire. Abdul Majid Khan, a Mughal subedar, invaded Rani Durgavati’s realm with Akbar’s approval
- She defended her realm from the Mughal army, and set up camp in Narrai valley. She refused to leave the battlefield and killed herself with a dagger
- Legacy and Honours:
- Renamed the University of Jabalpur as Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya;
- Commemorated with a postal stamp by the Indian government;
- Durgavati Express, a train, and ICGS Rani Durgavati, an Inshore Patrol Vessel, named after her;
- She is hailed as a patriotic ruler and defender of culture, becoming a symbol of pride and honour.
